HA-V3N
by Cirno the Genius
Summary: "Time to mix drinks and change lives." You never know who you'll get through the doors of your bar, so you never know if the drink you serve with have any significance in their life. Still, it's small moments like those that keeps the bartender of HA-V3N in Lastation opening his doors for the residents of Gamindustri.
1. Welcome to HA-V3N

**AN: Inspired by Lione 'Tabuukilla Fortuna's "And How Was Your Day" and Hclegend's Sociopath with A Spellblade. Also inspired by VA-11-Hall-A, a great visual novel that you guys should check out. Enjoy! No idea if I'll be continuing this.**

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**Chapter 1: Welcome to HA-V3N**

I turn to the cups I just cleaned yesterday, making sure everything is in order as I prepare to open up for the day. Cups? Check. Materials? Check.

I nod to myself, satisfied with the condition of how I left stuff the night before.

Ah, but there's one important thing I absolutely have to have before opening up. Music! I pick up my phone, scrolling through the list and select the songs I want. I pick twelve and put it on repeat until I decide that I'll change it later. It could be another slow day, so who knows if I'll get many people to really appreciate the music anyway.

Content with that, I turn to the clock. 5:00 P.M, on the dot.

I head to the front of the door, and flip my front sign from "closed" to "open." I don't imagine that I'll get anybody this early enough, so it might be a while before I get anybody to come.

"Ooooo, it _is_ open! Come on, Noire, let's get some drinks and loosen you up!"

"Neptune! I'm not going in for drinks! Histoire sent you over to me to learn from my work ethic!"

"Nahhh, I'm just here cause Histy is Pisty right now. I just wanted to hang out with you until she calms down!"

"W-Wha!?"

I raise an eyebrow at that.

"G-Geez. It's not as if I'm happy to hear that… But you should at least do what Histoire says before you head back. She'll just yell at you again otherwise."

"Fine… Let's just get a few drinks first before we go back! I actually saw this place here years back when I came by with Iffy and Compa to look for information about you when we were all still super mad and wanted to kill each other. I even know the bartender!"

Before whoever this Noire is gets a chance to respond, the door to Haven bursts open.

"Oh Lan~! I'm here for drinks."

I nod at her, putting down the cup I was cleaning. "Oh. Neptune. It's you again. Welcome to Haven, the both of you."

"How are you more familiar with something like this bar in my own nation than me? How do you even know this guy?"

Well, isn't she a little young? Then again, Neptune's appearance is even younger and her I.D said the first time she showed up she was legal to drink.

"Don't worry about the details Noire. Just sit down and let's get something."

This Noire just sighs before reluctantly sitting down in the bar stool in front of the counter with Neptune next to her.

"So Neptune, where's IF and Compa today?" I ask, trying to ease them into the setting.

She waved it off. "They're just back at Planeptune being busy or something. I'm just here to hang out with Noire here 'till I can go back."

I nod, glancing at my automatic I.D checker from my cashier checks for both their I.D's and grab their ages. Yup, over twenty-one.

"Right, so what can I get you girls starting off?"

Noire immediately frowns at Neptune, though the latter already seems to have a response prepared. "C'mon Noire! You wanted to hang out with me anyway, you tsundere you. And this is what I wanna do! Besides, you need to loosen up and one of the best ways Iffy told me was a good icebreaker was a few drinks, right?"

"I don't drink. I never have time to." She gives a fairly weak response before turning to me. "Whatever. If I have to, I'll get something. Do you have a menu?"

"Yeah. Here." I say as I hand her the menu as she takes a long look at it.

I note that after a while though, Neptune crosses her arm and furrows her brow, looking impatient since Noire doesn't seem to know what to get. Not an uncommon problem with people who aren't knowledgeable or have an idea of what they want.

"Finding out what kind of drinks you like takes a while to develop like food, but if you want a good starter, I'd take a look at the sweeter drinks that I have listed. Those are usually safe." I cut in before Neptune might try and pressure Noire into speeding up her decision making.

Noire looks up at me with an unreadable look that I can't discern before looking back at the menu.

She takes a few moments longer before deciding. "I'll take a Moonblast then."

Noire hands the menu back to me which I take and put away.

"Time to mix drinks and change lives." I whisper to myself, beginning to reach for the shaker and the materials.

"Oooo~! What's that? Your special catchphrase?" Neptune comments as I grab the adelhyde off the counter.

"Nothing like that. Just something that I learned from someone and always kept to heart." I brush off without giving too many details as I add the ice and powdered delta.

I run the mental calculations of what I still need. A can of flanergide and two cans of karmotrine, all blended, shaken for a couple seconds.

"Here you go. Enjoy." I place the drink down on the counter in front of Noire, presenting a pink drink as she pays me for it. "It's got a little bit of alcohol, but nothing compared to the rest of the stock I have."

Noire takes a hesitant sip as Neptune pushes up against the former. "So…? How is it?"

"It's good. Sweeter than I would've liked, but not bad."

"That's the Nowa seal of approval Lan! Good job Lan!" Neptune gave me a thumbs-up to which I smiled at.

"Thanks, I try."

"Hey. If I'm having a drink Neptune, you better be having one too." Noire complains, half-heartedly glaring at her pink-haired partner.

"Of course I will! I'm not such a party pooper that I'd let you drink alone Noire. Everyone knows that it's a downer to drink alone." Neptune openly smiles, turning to me. "Gimme a Blue Fairy! Snappy!"

"Coming right up then."

I let the two of them talk for a while as I quickly make Neptune's drink. A simple drink, only needing four cans of adelhyde and one can of flanergide. The karmotrine alcoholic factor is actually optional and I forgot to ask if Neptune wanted any, but I guess if Noire is drinking something with alcohol in it, then I should make it the same for Neptune. I go ahead and add two cans of karmotrine to match Noire's Moonblast and shake it quickly. I pour out a blue drink, matching the name of it into a glass cup and hand it to Neptune.

"Here you go. One Blue Fairy."

"Thanks!" She says as she hands me the required money for it.

"How long has this bar been here? I've gone through Lastation plenty of times and know most of the businesses, but I've never seen this one before." Noire questions as she takes another sip of her drink.

"A couple years? I haven't really kept track. The store's basically a hole in the wall, away from the main streets, so it's not unexpected that you might've missed it." I answer, matching her staring gaze at me.

Is she challenging me or something? She doesn't seem to trust me at all.

"Is there something I can help you with? You don't seem like you believe me." I say to try and bait a response.

Noire remains silent a bit longer before sighing and taking a large gulp of her Moonblast. "No. Never mind. I just thought I knew all the businesses. Even the smaller ones since I'm usually on top of everything when it comes to work-related matters."

"It sounds like you work in a fairly high position then?" I ask, attempting to glean more information out of here.

"Something like that. Why do you ask?" She questions back, suspicion entering tone.

"A habit, sorry. I used to work in a different field, but never dropped things like this." I run a hand through my head a bit embarrassingly. "You seem like the kind of person that works a lot without any major breaks. Especially if you're in that high of a position in administration or something."

Noire scoffs, flipping one of her pigtails. "Well, you're not wrong. I'm pretty high up there and I do work pretty hard."

I nod, acknowledging her words. "Personally, while it is a good idea to remain on top of your work, I find that equal self-care is just as important as the work you do."

"What do you mean?" She asks, an inquisitive tone entering her voice.

"Work is important, yes. But if you're too stressed or exhausted to do all of your work consistently because of it, then your work quality drops. If your work quality drops, you're not giving the best that you could've given because you were too tired to give it your full attention. Self-care is meant to help you relax and stress relieve before you do your work again." I try to explain in layman's turns as best as I can.

Noire seems smart enough to understand where I'm coming from as she mulls over what I said.

"Yeah, see Noire? This is why we're out here, trying to get you to relax and do something new! You're always working all the time!" Neptune jumps into my reasoning.

"Of course…, too much self-care means you leave all your work behind. It's important to strike a balance between the two."

"See Neptune? I wonder who's leaving all their work behind?" Noire taunts as she downs the last of her drink and lays her glass on the counter. "The drink was good. Thanks."

"My pleasure Noire." I state happily as I take her cup to begin cleaning it a routine fashion.

"Hey~! I don't just shirk all my work! I just… leave it for another day!" Neptune tries to make an excuse for herself, but even I can tell that she's not really doing a great job of it.

Noire chuckles at her counter before turning to me. "Well, you asked about us. I want to ask a bit about you since I don't know this bar very well. Are you the only one working here?"

"I'm sure I have all my paperwork in, so I'm not an illegal business. But I can answer what I know off the top of my head." I dump the ice out of Noire's glass into a sink and start the sink to start wiping it down with a water and soap. "I'm the only one who works here, yeah."

Noire smiles. "Well, you're doing a good job. Compared to the other bars I've passed by, it's cozier. It's almost like a private room, but older. Why don't you have anybody else though?"

I shrug in response, drying the glass cup with towel. "Can't really afford to pay for anybody else right now. Maybe I'll find a part-timer. Most people in Lastation are too hard working to really hang out or work in a dingy bar. I feel like some of them wouldn't be caught dead in a hole in the wall like this. I appreciate your compliment and patronage though."

"Really? Doesn't it get lonely here by yourself? Almost like a certain someone here~! This seems like a theme of your's Noire." Neptune teases as Noire blushes shamefully and denies whatever she said.

"A little. Any clientele has to come to me to order though, so I get to know them a lot better. It's a decent payoff." I respond, automatically taking Neptune's drink as she's done drinking.

"Won't you get robbed? Being alone in a shop means you're an easier target though, right? You don't have a bouncer." Noire asks, looking a little concerned on how I get by without too much trouble.

"Well, that's what my shotgun under the counter is for." I shrug and openly admit as Neptune bursts out laughing.

"Y-you have a shotgun under your counter? Really!?"

I fail to resist a smirk as I put down Neptune's empty cup in the sink and reveal the handle of a shotgun from behind the counter. "Yes. Right here actually."

Neptune continues laughing, slamming her hand on the counter a few times.

"Hey come on, it's not _that _funny." I jokingly say, though the smirk doesn't leave my face at all.

"N-No. Just imagining you shooting somebody when someone robs you is hilarious!" Neptune wipes a tear from her face as her laughter begins dying down. "That sounds like an idea for a game! The shotgun bartender!"

"To be honest, Lastation is _typically _safe enough that I don't have to really use it. In a metropolitan like this, it's inevitable to see some more unsavory types though. Usually just revealing it is enough to scare most people not to try anything funny if they're a rowdier type." I reason as Neptune breathes a few times to regain her breath.

"It does make sense." Noire acknowledges. "Thanks for your compliance. I'll have to go through my paperwork again later to probably put all this in."

Some kind of government job from Noire then? Good thing I was mostly on my best behavior. It wouldn't do or look well on me to have my bar shut down because I was too unprofessional.

"Alright Neptune, we've had our drinks. It's time we head back." Noire starts getting off the bar stool.

"But Noire~! Just one more! Come on! We both only had one! You heard what he said. You _really _need some more self-care Noire." Neptune tries to reason with her though it looks like Noire wasn't having any of it.

"This was good enough for me. Look, we can play some games later in my room okay? Histoire said you should at least learn to work from me too and I'm going to make sure you do."

Before Neptune can even make a retort, Noire forcefully grabs her by the hoodie and begins dragging her out through the door.

"Thank you for your time. Come back again." I say politely, waving goodbye to them.

"See you next time Lan. I'll keep what you said in mind." Noire waved back as she pushes the door open, one arm pulling Neptune behind her as the latter complained.

"Geez. That's some strength to her. And is she drunk already?" I mutter to myself.

Before I can really think further to myself, the door to Haven opens again and in walks a regular that I'm more familiar with.

Well, it's time to mix drinks and change lives.

"Hello. Welcome to Haven. What can I get you?"


	2. Safe Haven

**AN: Welp. Chapter 2. Inspired by Lione 'Tabuukilla Fortuna's "And How Was Your Day" and Hclegend's Sociopath with A Spellblade. Also inspired by VA-11-Hall-A, a great visual novel that you guys should check out. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2: Safe Haven**

"Quick!"

I turn to the door in response to it quickly slamming open, only to see a short girl with fairly pale skin and unusual pink eyes. Under her left eye is a mole and her hair is long, straight blue hair that went down to her elbows. Her attire was a black headphones on her ears along with a black bikini top that had white, or silver lines running lines through it. A ruffled skirt matched the top with a pink belt around it covering her waist and leg, though still revealed a good portion of both. A black choker covered her neck and a treble clef tattoo on her stomach area adorned her.

Before I can ask her who she is, she looks at me in desperation.

"Please! Hide me!" She begs as she looks for just about anywhere in the bar to conceal myself.

T-This is really unusual, but she looks like she needs help and fast. No time to really question her 'til later and she doesn't look dangerous.

"Behind the counter over here. Hurry!" I urge her over and she sprints over to where I am and ducks, concealing her from obvious sight.

The door closes and she holds her position. I'm on full alert mode for something and am rewarded when my door slams open again a few seconds later with what looks like a gaggle of guys. There's way too many for me to count and some of them are holding light sticks. The kind that you'd see people using for shows to cheer someone on or something.

I try to act like nothing has really changed and continue the monotonous task of cleaning my cup as the guys look around my bar.

"Hello. Welcome to Haven." I state to get their attention. "Would you like a drink?"

"She's not here!" One guy from the front shouts to the people in the back, ignoring what I asked.

He then turns to me. "Excuse me, have you seen a girl with blue hair and a treble clef tattoo on her stomach? We're looking for her."

I can almost feel the girl next to me shaking in response to what I might say.

"I'm afraid I don't know who you're talking about. Would you like a drink in the meantime?" I lie as the guys mutter something I can't really hear.

"No. Sorry. We're going to keep looking for her. Thanks." The guy replies before the group of guys begin exiting in disappointment.

I make sure to continue what I'm doing a bit longer to make sure that there's nobody else coming. After a few moments, my business is empty again and the street my bar is located at goes quiet. I glance at the girl next to me who's still ducking her head and sigh. I have no idea who this is or whatever, but it seems like I'm committed to helping her. I might as well go all the way.

"Stay here real quick." I instruct her as I head to my door and turn my sign from open to closed. I pull a remote out of my pocket and hit a button, closing the automatic steel shutters on the doors and denying access to any view inside Haven.

"Alright. The coast is clear. You can come out now." I inform her as I head back behind the counter. "You can sit on the black stool in front of the wood counter here."

The blue haired girl does so and I take a quick look at the I.D checker. It doesn't display her name, but it does check her to be over 21. I wouldn't have kicked her out regardless, but nice to know she's old enough to be here.

"You're lucky nobody else was here besides me. They might have ratted you out." I tell her as she nods quietly, eyes looking down solely at the wood counter.

"Thank you…" She says softly.

"No problem. I'm really sorry and you look a little shaken up, but I need to ask some questions to decide what I'm going to do. I can't really keep my business closed, so I need to know what I'm getting into. Is that alright?" I ask her firmly, and she imperceptibly nods.

"First off, who were those guys? What were they after you for and were they dangerous?" I ask first, bringing a hand underneath my chin. "They didn't look very threatening at all. They didn't look old either. Oldest I saw was maybe in their mid 20's? 30's even?"

"Umm… They're fans. They're supposed to come watch an event I'm doing. They're not really dangerous, but there were a lot of them." She slowly speaks up, and I nod to let her know I got her message. "D-Do you know who I am?"

I shake my head and answer honestly. "Not really, no. I can guess what you _might_ be doing as a job or what you do at an event based on how you look and your fans' actions, but as a person and who you are, I really have no clue."

She looks a bit shocked at that, even looking up at my face.

"I don't really keep track of high profile people. Back to my questions though, what happened that these people were following you?" I redirect back to her to keep gathering information.

"Umm." She murmurs, drooping her head back downwards to the wood counter. "I was walking around Lastation with a friend and bodyguard while the venue I was at was being prepared. People saw me though and were too excited. She tried to stop them all and didn't want to hurt them, but they were too many and they got past her. We ended up separated when I ran away."

A very clearly shy girl then? A client's safety is always top priority, so getting her help is the next thing to do.

"I see. I have a phone if you want to call your friend to pick you up in the meantime. Based on what I've heard, I'll keep my business closed in favor of helping you in the meantime." I make my decision and once again, she looks pleasantly surprised at my choice enough to look up at me.

The girl shakes her head. "Thank you. No, I have a phone. I can call her."

"Alright. Got it. Last question then." I inform her. "I don't want to keep calling you, 'you' or 'blue haired girl' so I'm going to need something to call you."

The girl bites her lips and looks away back downwards, as if she really doesn't want to tell me who she is.

"If you want and you think it'll help, you can give me a fake name. But, I _do _need at least something to call you by." I reassure her, making sure I came off as a gentle as possible to not scare her.

"I understand…" She mutters. "I'm… Lyrica."

I nod and smile at her. "Okay Lyrica. Well, as the name tag on my apron says, I'm Lan, Lan Cable. I own this bar, HA-V3N, but Haven for short."

"I'm very sorry for forcing you to help me like that." Lyrica apologizes to me sincerely, even bowing her head to me.

"I wouldn't worry about it. I chose to help you." I give what I hope is a kind smile and when she looks like she wants to object, I wave her off. "You looked desperate enough that I would never have turned you away."

"I-If you're sure." She says, giving a small smile at me.

Damn, I won't lie but this Lyrica is pretty cute. Professionalism though, Lan.

"I am. Besides, maybe it was a slow night because everybody was going to your show. It means a lot of people care about you, you know?"

Lyrica again, looks like she wants to object, but I cut her off.

"I'll say again, don't worry about it. If you're really a big name, you don't need to apologize."

Lyrica looks guilt ridden at what I assume is taking business away from me.

"I should at least pay you back for helping me though. This is a bar right? I can buy something to at least help you." She insists and I'm about to object, but she cuts me off similarly. "Please. This is the least I can do. You won't be able to serve any clients if you don't at least have a source of income."

I close my eyes to think. Urgh, this really strikes against me. She raises a good point though that if my business goes under, I won't be able to serve clientele. Money _has_ been a bit slow recently. I'm not exactly in the red, but my food budget is going to have to be a bit stricter if this keeps up. Given the need for survival, I'm unfortunately forced to concede.

"Alright Lyrica. You win." I sigh as she smiles at my concession. "In that case, what drink do you want exactly?"

I hand Lyrica a laminated menu to give her some assistance which she takes. She looks at it for a while, but based on her confused eyes and face, it doesn't look like she knows much about alcohol in general.

"Umm. I don't really know. I don't really know what any of these are. I don't usually drink." Lyrica admits, scratching at her chin with her index finger. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"Hmm." I hum and give some thought as to what Lyrica might want. "Well, since I assume you're doing some kind of event, something bitter or sour might help keep you awake better. Those are a bit tougher to down though, and I wouldn't recommend those unless you like those tastes or have been drinking for a while. An easier drink would be something sweeter and that's always a good starter."

Lyrica still looks unsure as to what she really wants and eventually hands me back the menu.

"I'll take any bitter one to stay awake, so just surprise me. I need to call my friend to pick me up soon though."

"That's fine." I agreed with her. "You can call them in the back over there, below the TV up on the wall if you want some privacy. I'll need a bit to think about what to make for you."

Lyrica nods and places a good amount of cash, enough to buy any drink she wanted from my menu. Then, she proceeds to the back to make her call.

"Alright, time to mix drinks and change lives." I mutter to myself as I run through my thought processes.

So, a bitter drink for what I assume is somebody who's going to be up on stage. Maybe a manly, strong bitter drink to keep her awake better? Or should I give her something with some bitter sweetness to kind of ease her in? The question roils in my mind for a bit before I decide on the latter. I don't really want to make the drink too strong that she can't even down it. Part of the drinking experience is to have some fun and enjoy the experience and drink, so I think I should give her something that's more versatile.

Ahh, a Sunshine Cloud. That's not a bad idea. Tastes a bit like old chocolate milk, and it has a good smell. I've heard some people back where I used to live even say it tastes like caramel. Kind of a girly drink too. Perfect.

I go ahead and start the process by grabbing the shaker and putting ice in it. Sunshine Cloud needs two cans of adelhyde for some of the sweetness, and two cans of Bronson extract to give it the bitterness. The karmotrine in is optional too, making it versatile in how much alcohol I want to put in. I don't want to make her absolutely wasted, but I think a drink isn't a drink without some alcohol in it. Just one is probably alright. I pour everything into the iced shaker and began shaking it firmly for a couple seconds while I grab a clean glass. I pour the bright brown drink out, decorating it with a small mint leaf and a straw and place it on the counter.

Just in time too, since Lyrica is coming back over from her phone call.

"Alright Lyrica. A Sunshine Cloud, just for you. It's bitter like you requested, but I tried to keep some considerations in mind. I hope you like it." I smile at her as she looks at the round-ish cup, a bit different than the taller glasses I keep for different ones.

"Thank you. I just finished calling and they should be here soon." She thanks me as she takes a sip from her drink.

She ends up wincing a bit, but manages to take the first gulp.

"Ahh. It's bitter, and a bit sweet? I've never had something like this before. It's a little bitterer than I thought still."

Hmm. That's one of the weaker drinks I've made. Her tongue might not have fully adjusted to the bitterness taste in general. Most people tend to avoid it, understandably since it's not a pleasant taste on average.

"Unfortunately, you need to have been drinking for a while or already like bitter things to like drinks like these. It's a bit harder to appreciate, especially if you're relatively inexperienced. It's similar to wine in that case. I picked this drink in mind, since it comes with some sweetness to help mitigate some of the bitterness." I tell her as such, beginning to clean out my shaker in the sink.

She takes another sip and nods appreciatively. "Thank you. I understand. I wanted something bitter since I thought helping to stay awake during a performance would be good. It's always worth it to sacrifice a little something to help others."

"That's a nice thought, Lyrica. You seem like a very nice girl who cares for others." I smile at her selflessness as I begin drying the shaker with my towel.

"Ahh." Lyrica blushes a bit. "T-thank you. What about you, Mr. Lan? You seem very kind as well. You went through a lot to help someone you didn't even know."

"Just Lan is fine. I'm not actually _that _old." I say back a little sarcastically and run a hand through my hair. "I've done a lot of stupid stuff in the past and have my regrets and past mistakes, so I can't really judge for myself if I'm a nice guy. I just do my best and live by my own values."

"Values? Like what?" Lyrica asks as she takes another sip of her drink.

"If there's one philosophy that I live by, it's that I'm an advocate for clientele autonomy." I answer, placing the shaker back on my side of the counter, ready for use again.

Lyrica looks confused and as she's about to question it, the both of us hear a knock coming from my door.

"That was faster than I expected." I comment as I head over to the door. "You think it's them?"

Lyrica nods. "She said she wasn't too far away, and she drives a bike so she must have gotten here fast."

I go ahead and open the shutters to my door. As it slowly rolls up, I find a familiar face looking at me that completely catches me off guard.

"IF? The hell!?" I almost shout as I unlock my door to open it.

"Yo, Lan. Surprised? I was pretty shocked when I heard that Lyrica told me she was at your place!" She gives a smirk at my clearly stunned reaction as I barely hear Lyrica confirm that it's her.

"This is your bodyguard and friend Lyrica? Geez, what a coincidence..." I take a moment to remove the astonishment out of my system and let her in, along with her bike that barely makes it through the door.

I close the shutters again on my remote as IF props her bike up with her stand.

"Wow, place hasn't really changed Lan. Business isn't forthcoming as always?" IF comments as she takes a seat next to Lyrica.

I shrug as I head back behind the counter. "It's the usual IF. I get enough to survive and maintain myself and this place. Rent's good since I'm not on a main street."

"Whatever you're happy with then." She comments before turning to Lyrica. "By the way, Cave says the venue isn't ready yet, so we have a few until we have to get back."

Lyrica nods, clearly now more comfortable with IF around given the almost joyous smile she has with the latter around."

"Well, I'm still closed at the moment, thanks to you two. You might as well stick around for a bit to keep other fans from swarming you guys like they did earlier." I suggest which the both of them look like they agree with.

"It's not a bad idea. Sorry to intrude Lan. We'll be out of your hair when the heat dies down a bit." IF apologizes sheepishly and I sigh dramatically.

"The company's good, but I keep losing business thanks to you guys. I swear, it's not my location or clientele target population, but _you_ guys that keep taking away my regulars." I joke, getting a chuckle from IF and an apologetic look from Lyrica.

"Not my fault you're stationed here. If it helps you any, I'll buy a pity drink just to support you." IF teases as I give her a dirty look.

"I don't need a pity drink IF. If you're going to drink, actually _get _a drink." I grumble half-heartedly. "So, what can I get you?"

"Hmmmm….." She hums for a bit, before eventually deciding. "I guess anything's alright as long it's not sour. No alcohol either since I'm still technically on a job request. Plus, I'm driving."

"Alright, I can handle that. Let me think about what to make for a second." I answer as I mull over what to do.

So, no sour and no alcohol. Narrows down the choices a bit, but still a lot of options. IF is alright with sweet drinks, but can actually handle herself a lot better. Spicy is okay with her, but something bitter might do her well. A lot of the manlier drinks are pretty strong with alcohol, but I think I know one that might do the trick.

A Gut Punch. The cheapest drink here.

It's still strong, but the karmotrine alcohol factor is optional. It needs five cans of bronson extracts and one can of flanergide.

I go ahead and start the process, grabbing my shaker and the six cans I need. I pour everything in, shake it real fast, and even toss it in the air a couple times with the lid sealed tight. It spun while in midair as I deftly caught it, threw it to my other hand and performed the same stunt of flipping it into the air to catch it. IF and Lyrica look a little impressed before I grab a glass and dump the light brown liquid in. I slide it down to IF who takes it in hand.

"Nice. That take you a while to learn?" If questions as she takes a sip and recoils at the immediately strong taste.

I hide a smirk, pumping my fist mentally at my petty revenge. "A little. I got bored pretty fast since I don't see too many people on a regular basis, so I picked this up and practiced. It doesn't do anything to the drink and it's not practical, but it looks cool."

"It does. It's actually been a while though, in all seriousness Lan." IF remarks as she takes a huge gulp from her Gut Punch.

"Well you work over in Planeptune right? I'm in Lastation. Last time you were here, there was some kind of convention at the Basilicom that I don't even know what it was for." I repeat the process of cleaning my shaker in case either of the two girls wants another drink. I doubt it, but extra service is nice.

"60 credits by the way IF." I state, as she forks over the cash.

"Yeah. Planeptune." She answers and takes another sip of her drink. "By the way, you actually got Lyrica to open up fast. Still trying to give off that cool bartender vibe?"

"H-Hey…" Lyrica embarrassingly replies, a blush on her cheek.

I shrug my shoulders. "I don't really try. It's just trained professionalism. Besides, it was Neptune who put that label on me. I just do what my job demands. I talk to clients. I listen to clients, and I give them what they want, within certain boundaries."

IF hums and downs the rest of her drink.

"Speaking of trained, where did you even learn to bartend?"

I cock an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"We've known each other for a while, but I was curious where you came from. I checked the Guilds and even my information network, but there's nothing about you. You just came in from overseas, and then just opened up shop in Lastation after taking some quests for some credits. If you ask me, that's pretty much the definition of a mysterious bartender who does their job too well. It's like some anime cliché." She jokes a bit, putting another 60 credits onto the counter and raises her glass into the air. "By the way, give me another of what you just gave me. It'll be my last one."

"Another Gut Punch, coming right up for the nosy lady." I take a jab at IF's while grabbing her drink.

She laughs loudly, with Lyrica even giggling a bit. "A Gut Punch Lan? Seriously? Where do you even come up with these drink names?"

"Let me answer your other question first. You bought a drink, so that's good enough service that I'll do that." I redirect as I put her dirty cup into the sink and get another one. "I'm actually from the PC continent overseas. I moved here to Lastation since I just wanted to open up a bar in a different place and use what I learned over there. That honestly sums it up, among other things."

IF raises an eyebrow. "The PC continent huh? Us here in Gamindustri don't really know it all too well."

"Not surprising. It's far enough that I'd have to pack for a few weeks to get back over there if I wanted to plan a visit." I begin grabbing the combined materials from last time real quick and opening the cans. "As for Gut Punch, it's not an original drink. I learned from over there, but no other bar here I visited has it so I have the novelty of introducing it here. It's supposed to be because you really feel the punch it when you drink it."

"I did. It makes sense. It's just still a funny drink name." IF smiles as she watches me start combining the materials into the shaker and begin mixing it.

"I won't argue with that." I chuckle as I pour out IF's last drink and hand it to her.

IF thanks me before I turn to Lyrica. "I have a question for you actually."

"Hmm. Me?" She looks a little caught off-guard at being addressed, but recovers quickly. "What is it?"

"I admit that I don't really keep up with any major figures except the four goddesses that run Gamindustri, but not even by much. You do look like some kind of singer, but I've never heard of you nor do I listen to modern music here much. Most of mine that you hear from my electronic jukebox right now is from the PC continent. So, who are you exactly if you don't mind telling me?" I ask as I start cleaning out both IF's last cup and the shaker.

I see IF turn to Lyrica as my hands automatically perform the routine to wash. The two of them nod, I guess sending some sort of message towards each other.

"Well, if Lyrica trusts you, then she can explain." IF starts off.

"Umm… I _am _Lyrica, but I also go by 5pb. I'm actually an idol that's on tour in Gamindustri right now. I sing on stage at venues, so my latest one is here." The now named 5pb shyly explains and I'm careful not to interrupt her yet.

It does make sense now though with the fans she was talking about. If she's some kind of idol that sings, she would naturally have people that would follow her around. There were probably too many for IF to handle and I can't imagine IF wanting to hurt some innocent people wanting to see 5pb. But, they got separated and 5pb ended up here after trying to escape the rabid fans and IF I assume, tried to look for her.

"I really like singing, and I want my songs to reach out to the hearts of people. I want people to be energized and feel that life is worth living and going through." 5pb gives an honest smile that I could honestly see radiating if the lighting in the bar wasn't dimmed.

"I want to make people happy. I know tickets to my concert are expensive, so I want people to feel they got everything they wanted and more when they come just to see me sing. I'm actually from Leanbox, but Lady Green Heart gave me permission for a tour which I'm very thankful for. I want everybody to be feel like they can overcome all their problems, and traveling to the other nations will help."

Oof. You make me sound like a bum compared to you. 5pb's smile would probably blind others if it was even possible. It's so heartfelt that I can't argue against it.

"So, from what I understand, raising the spirits of others and helping the general community and populace seems like a value that you hold very highly." I paraphrase to which 5pb nods very resolutely about.

"I see. Then I wish you the best of luck and a great time at your concert." I reciprocate her sincere feelings with as much as I can express.

5pb looks slightly stunned at me.

"I said it earlier, but I'll elaborate a bit more and say it again. You seem like a very caring, passionate girl about helping others. You appear shy, but you don't seem to let that stop you all to make public appearances to help others get through life in the best way you know how. By singing." I let forth my observations made about 5pb. "I am very appreciative of the opportunity to be of help to you, and honored that you would tell me something like this."

"Y-you're welcome?" 5pb looks confused, but I'm not finished.

"I actually take a _lot_ of pride and enjoyment in helping people like you, even if it doesn't happen often in a job like this. Hearing your guys' story, what you guys do, and what you guys strive for is something that I enjoy the most. Watching you succeed, even more. It's an intimate part of a person that not many get to see or hear at all. Thus, that's why I'm privileged that you would tell me something like this." I explain to 5pb, whose face is turning redder by the second. "I even opened a bar partially to help facilitate things like this, despite not paying super well. It's these moments for me, hearing things about others and their struggles and story that makes life enjoyable to me. So, I'd like to thank you for making my day this much better and helping to fulfill something like this."

"A-Ahhh…" She places her hands against her absolutely flushed cheeks. "T-Thank you, and you're welcome."

"You know, with the way you just openly admitted that, you're just supporting Nep's comment about you." IF cut in, chuckling all the while. "Its things like these that just make you seem cool, mysterious, but a good bartender."

I shrug. "I told the honest truth of how I felt. Everything I learned, I learned overseas though I picked up a few tricks while in Lastation."

"I-If you'd like, you can come to my concert." 5pb offers, smiling at me. "I have a backstage pass if you'd like."

I grin back apologetically. "Ahh sorry, but I need to at least reopen for a bit. Staying closed isn't exactly good business, and I need people to come if I'm going to make rent."

"I doubt anybody else is going to come here anyway Lan. Can't you just take a day off? She's trying hard to get you to come you know." IF smirks, trying to instigate something between the two of us.

"Sorry, but I need everything I can get." I insisted, and 5pb looks depressed at her failure to get me come.

Ugh, no stop. That just makes me feel terrible. Why do you gotta do this IF?

I sigh and run a hand through my hair. "How about this? Why don't you sign something, like I don't know. A cup for me? It might bring some publicity for me and you or something if someone sees it. And maybe next time, you can put a ticket on hold for me."

5pb visibly brightens up at that. "Yes please! Do you have a marker? Sharpie?"

"Yeah, here." I hand 5pb both my marker in my apron and a clean cup.

"To… Lan. Keep …your hopes high … and live life well with all your might. From… 5pb." The idol talks to herself as she signs in big letters and even makes a big star on the cup. "Here you go!"

Wow, that is a _big _signature. That's pretty noticeable, even if I put back on my wooden shelf.

"Thanks. I'll make sure to treasure it." I smile at her. "Maybe come back sometime if you're in the area. I always need the extra business."

"Yeah. We will." IF agrees, grinning at me. "Sorry, but we have to get going. I got a text from Cave that we need to be back."

I nod. "Alright. Have a good evening, the both of you. Let me open the shutters for you so you can get out."

I click the button on my remote in my pocket which opens the shutters, revealing the door as both 5pb and IF make their way over to the latter's bike.

"You're a good guy Lan. We'll be back next time. Maybe even after the concert." Both the brown and blue haired girl wave goodbye to me.

I wave back to the both of them and they exit Haven.

I sigh as I walk over to my sign, flipping it back from closed to open.

Damn, I really wanted to go though. Professionalism though, Lan. Maintain it.


	3. Friendly Conversation

**AN: Inspired by Lione 'Tabuukilla Fortuna's "And How Was Your Day" and Hclegend's Sociopath with A Spellblade. Also inspired by VA-11-Hall-A, a great visual novel that you guys should check out. I'd like to thank Hclegend for calling my story out on his own. I appreciate it! Enjoy! Also experimenting with "NPC type" characters since it can't always be big name characters showing up.**

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**Chapter 3: Friendly Conversation**

"So that will be 3000 credits for synthesizing 800 cans of Karmotrine for you!" Gust declares, hands on her hip and all as I can _almost _see dollar signs on the eyes of her giant white bunny cap.

No, no, no there's no way I can sustain myself with that kind of cost. I realize that this is for 500 drinks, assuming every drink has two Karmotrines on average. But if I include the other cans too, it's not workable. I need to work something better

"Gust, you're going to grind me to bankruptcy. I realize you're the only one who can synthesize this for me, but you're jacking the price up too much for me to handle. I'm a bartender. I don't get a lot of business. And I already paid you way less for the other cans, so why is this one so high?" I complain, though Gust looks like she doesn't particularly care for my dilemma.

"Gust thinks it's not worth effort. Gust only supplier for you anyway. I can make price whatever I want." Gust argues, her business sense probably far superior to mine.

She's right though. As the only supplier for all my materials, which I'm very certain is unique to me, she can set whatever price she wants and I'll be forced to comply. If I don't, I'll go out of business from not having supplies to make any of my drinks. There's also the possibility that she'll sell it to others, which would make my drinks no longer unique. While they wouldn't be able to make anything of it right away, I have no doubt given time, they'll eventually recreate any drinks I could've made. By extension, that would put a huge damper on business. I can't pay too much either though or I won't be able to sustain myself or my livelihood. This is a really tough spot.

But, I have an age old tactic that's been used since the beginning of merchants.

"How about we haggle Gust? You're a very smart businesswoman, with skills I probably couldn't even use half as well. You think we can make a deal?" I flatter her just a bit to see if I can butter her up to some negotiations.

Shameless, but I'll take whatever I can get right now.

Gust gives it some thought, placing one her bunny gloved hands under her chin. I almost sweat, as the wait takes a while before she eventually nods.

"Okay! It's a deal! I start then!" She declares, a cute smile on her face. "Starting price is 3000!"

"1750. The other cans were much lower too and this is a more common material that I can use in a lot of my drinks." I try to appeal to her reason.

The short, bunny hatted girl shakes her head. "Nope! 2950!"

Yikes. Nope. That's still too unreasonable.

"1800. I know you're the only one with the skills and the knowledge who can create things like this Gust. I'd rather it be you than anyone else, which is even why I'm trying this. You're a very reasonable girl." I try appealing to her emotion and sense of pride, which seemed to work last time and during previous negotiations.

I think I can almost see her preen at the flattery.

"Hmmm. 2500!" She calls out a much lower number.

Nice, but still a bit too iffy. It's not terrible, but I think I can push it.

"1900." I declare, trying to eke out whatever value I can get.

"2400." She calls out, not necessarily budging too much, but definitely coming into more workable range.

I have one more secret weapon though that can hopefully use her young age.

"2100. Not only that, but I'll give you a few free drinks on the house, as a valued supplier. You already know the price of my drinks, Gust. There's no way you haven't seen the prices." I subtly compliment her business along with her excellent prior research skills again.

Gust doesn't respond with a return offer for a moment, making me nervous, but also hopeful at the same time.

"Deal!" She finally agrees with my relief as I kneel down to her level shake her gloved bunny hand to signify our agreement. "Gust appreciates your business! I take one week to finish everything."

I inwardly sigh. Great, these supplies should last me another four to six months. Nine if I push it and business is slow, but if I go through all my ingredients anyway, I should be able to handle all my needs plus way more.

"Sorry for contacting you out of my usual date by the way Gust. Recently, there's been more people coming in to my bar so that's been good. As a result, my ingredients started running low so I had to call you earlier than I expected. Good thing you're on speed dial for me." I apologize for calling her out of schedule which Gust doesn't even shake her hand over.

"It is okay. Gust was in the area. I will be traveling soon though, so it will take time to come back if you need anything." Gust informs me as she puffs out her chest in pride for some reason.

"Oh, you're leaving soon?" I commented, feeling a little disappointed at that. "You should grab a few drinks from me then. I offered them on the house, and if you're not going to be back for a week or two, you should take advantage of it. We should chat a bit before you head out."

"Okay!" Gust nods and climbs onto the black stool in front of the counter.

I admit, I almost chuckle at seeing the stool almost be too tall for her since she's much shorter than my average client. Nonetheless, she manages to seat herself, looking at all like the young girl I expected her to be.

"Well, obviously, I won't be able to give you anything alcoholic. I still have drinks that I can serve you though, and I _do _want to give you something nice. Do you want a look at the menu, or do you want me to pick one out for you?" I offer Gust as she shakes her head.

"That's okay. You pick!" Gust gives me free reign over what to choose.

"Alright, leave it to me." I reply, as I begin running through my thought processes.

Time to mix drinks and change lives.

For a girl like Gust, her sense of taste might not be as developed. I probably want to stick to the sweet drinks for now. I could go with something simple, like a Sugar Rush, but I actually want to give her something a bit more complicated. I also don't want anything too fancy that she might not get. She did me a service by lowering her prices for the materials I wanted, so I want to put more effort into this drink. There's a few choices I can pick where are all probably equally good, but I think I want to settle on a Fluffy Dream.

It's a sweet drink that's easy on the tongue with its soft texture. It's fancy enough that it looks pretty appealing and has a nice, green cloudy color in my opinion. A Sparkle Star was another option, but looks too brown and honestly if looked at wrong, looks like mixed puke.

With that in mind, I go ahead and grab the required cans of adelhyde and powdered delta. Both are sweet and sour ingredients and need three cans each. You'd think they conflict, but they don't for some reason and it mixes well. That reasoning doesn't apply to a Zen Star which needs four of everything I have and just clashes into something bland.

I also grab a tall glass and a shaker to pour the adelhyde and powdered delta in. After pouring everything in, I start shaking everything for a few seconds and transferring it to the tall glass. I cut a lime and stick it into the side, completing the drink.

"Here you go Gust. This one's a Fluffy Dream, on the house." I place the drink in front of her, who looks at it in wonder.

"Ooo. What's in it?" She asks, interest clear in her eyes as takes a second to gaze at the concoction.

I sigh dramatically. "Now Gust, that's telling. I have to keep _some _trade secrets to keep my drinks unique. It has the materials you gave me, and that's all I'll say."

"I understand. Would you ever teach me?" Gust pouts, but doesn't argue.

I shake my head, grinning at her. "Well, you'd need to work for me. Otherwise, there's no point teaching you."

"Sorry. I want to travel world for rare materials. I want to improve alchemy and make items to help world!" Gust denies, her eyes shining at her passion.

I snicker at the thought of a mad scientist looking Gust for some reason.

"What's so funny?" Gust asks, pouting at what I assume is me laughing at her dream.

"Nothing. Just a funny thought." I wave off her question. "True. You can't travel the world to get materials if you're stuck in a bar like this. And I do have to say, I'm really impressed with what your alchemy can do."

"Hmm? Alchemy is alchemy. Anybody can do it. Gust is just better at it!" She states with pride, puffing her chest at her clear experience.

Well, if you're able to make off-continent materials with stuff here, I honestly have to tip my nonexistent hat to you.

"I'm curious though. The rough definition of alchemy is technically combining one or more materials to make something else right? Almost like crafting something." I ask, curiosity piqued into the in-depth nature of Gust's skill.

"Yes." Gust confirms for me, though I'm having an issue putting the exact phrasing to how alchemy works.

"So by that definition, wouldn't mixing drinks be considered alchemy? It's like mixing two potions together into something new right?" I question, trying to wrap my head around this foreign concept.

Gust nods her head. "Yes and no. Combining materials to make recipe is alchemy. Making medicine is also alchemy because it has recipe. But if it has no recipe, it is not alchemy."

Huh. So, if it doesn't have a recipe, then it's not alchemy at all? And if it has one, then it _is _alchemy?

"This is kind of confusing Gust. So then what if you _don't_ follow a recipe? What do you call it then?" I ask, curious as to what label she would put on it.

"Experimenting!" She proclaims, a big smile on her face. "To get any recipe, Gust has to keep trying to see if synthesis of materials is consistent! If it is, it's a recipe! If not, then Gust tries again with more or less materials."

Ahh. So it's bit like science. The recipe calls for a certain amount of materials every single time, kind of like cooking or making a drink. Your results should always be consistent so long as you follow the recipe. If for some reason, you don't get the result, then it wasn't a recipe in the first place or you did something wrong.

"So if a combination of materials is unknown, it's not a recipe. It's experimenting since you need a recipe to define it as alchemy. Otherwise, you're just doing trial and error until you get consistent results."

That kind of makes sense. You can have a vague idea of what you'll make, but it might not always turn out like that. Therefore, you need to tweak it with either adding more, removing some materials, or even adding new ones to see what you get. If it's consistent, then it can become a recipe.

"But whenever I see you make something, it doesn't even _look_ like what it used to be. I've even seen you drop some rocks into a potion and the potion just hardens. Is that still alchemy?" I ask, thinking of an off-chance scenario or exception.

"Yes! Because I followed recipe, it is alchemy and not experimenting! That one was a bomb." Gust confirms with me, looking a bit happier that I seem to have managed to wrap my mind around this skill.

My eyes widen a bit at some young girl making a bomb in a potion bottle. This alchemy skill seems kind of arbitrary with how it works, but I have no idea how it's named or its functionality. It could be a cultural thing for all I know and there's no point for me to try and change it.

"Still, to be able to create everything like this, even from a far off continent... Granted, I had the recipe for it, but it's very impressive what your alchemy can do." I admit as Gust preens at the compliment. "You should probably get started on the drink though. You don't want it to settle for too long."

"Okay!" She happily says as she takes a long sip of her Fluffy Dream. "It's good!"

I pump a fist mentally with satisfied pride at a happy client.

"Thanks. The stuff you make for me is put to relatively good use, I promise."

"I never make materials like this before from off continent. Gust is impressed that it can become a drink. Maybe you should be alchemist too! Be Gust's student!" Gust compliments me to which I can only scratch my head in embarrassment.

"Nah. I'm happy here serving good drinks to people like you. I'm already doing what I like." I smile as Gust takes another good sip of her drink.

"Sometimes, synthesizing material is very challenging. I tried making a super energy drink one time." Gust off-handedly mentions which I raise an eyebrow at.

"A super energy drink? Dare I ask what you even put in there?" I cautiously ask as I have a bad feeling about it.

"I mixed all energy drinks from pharmacy!" She states proudly, to which I could practically feel my insides burning at the taste of such a thing. "Then I give it to Lady Black Heart!"

Oh _god_.

"You know, one energy drink is bad enough. Some of those taste horrid, even if they do what they're supposed to do. But _all _of them?" I shudder at the thought of the abomination. "That's not alchemy Gust. That's torturing experimentation. How did you even get Lady Black Heart to drink it?"

"She wants drink to help stay awake and ask Gust to make something. I used her as guinea pig for experiment. Goddess much stronger than normal person, so I use her to test it!" Gust openly admits happily.

"I really want to feel bad that you even gave her an atrocity like that, but I can't help but laugh at this too. Honestly, I think the latter is winning out." I state as I suppress the laughter bubbling in me, coming out as a cough instead.

Gust finishes off her drink and places it back on the counter for me to take. I go ahead and so, starting the process of washing both the shaker and the glass.

"That was very good. Good quality. Maybe you should have patent on drinks Lan. That way, no one can steal it. Gust has many patents." Gust suggests, and it triggers a memory from me that I recall.

"The people back at the PC continent might have an issue with that if I tried getting one. I don't know how cross continental patents work, so I haven't tried." I remark as I start cleaning both the shaker and glass with a sponge. "Speaking of patent though, I remember you mentioning that you had a few of your own. What was it? A wireless phone charger? Aren't you in the process of getting another one too?"

I remember, because I think I have that phone charger too. Someone even tried fighting her in court for the invention of the wireless phone charger, but thanks to her patent, she sued, won and got a bunch of money off him. What an idiot.

"Yes! I have new patent for wireless PC watch! It can connect and access PC from twenty mile radius and use features. PC watch can control it too, but there technical problems with it." Gust explains, looking eager to explain what she had in mind. "It can turn on PC and send music and pictures over to watch!"

"Geez, you're really at the top of the business world too. It sounds too impressive honestly. Gamers all over would probably kill for things like that. Why you're negotiating deals with me when you can be doing other things, I don't know." I say as I finish drying both the shaker and glass for future use.

"It's simple. I like you. Lan is good friend." The girl smiles at me with absolutely no shame and I can't help but feel embarrassed at the upfront admittance. "But, Gust has to go. I leave tomorrow to Lowee."

"Right, right. I don't want to hold you up for too long." I cough, trying to will away my awkwardness. "I hope you liked your drink. Remember, more drinks on the house whenever you come back."

"Gust remember. Call me if you need synthesis!" The alchemist plops off her seat, waves goodbye and heads out through the door into the night.

I sigh. She's good company honestly. There's no denying she has ruthless business practices when it comes down to it. Her tiny frame really overshadows that for sure. However, I know for sure that she's very lax whenever she feels like it. Her projects are much bigger than mine that it's neat that she still takes the time to give me what I need to function at a good price. I honestly wish I had half the business sense she did when I was younger. I was a complete doormat, and I still am with values attached to me.

"Explain to me why we are here again? As well as why I'm going along with this idiocy?"

I hear an unamused voice from outside that is pretty loud, which catches my attention.

"Because! The bar we usually go to is closed! I checked it out earlier since I got back earlier than you. Plus we don't pass up Bar Night Thursday! It's tradition man!" A younger voice than the one earlier explains as they approach my door. "'Sides, IF mentioned that this bar was pretty good and we were in the area. We might as well kill two birds in one stone and check this one out since the one we go to is closed. Don't be such a stick in the mud man."

I can visibly see the sigh from what looks like the older guy.

"Right. Fine then. Let's hope IF's tastes aren't as terrible as your ability to plan."

"Relax dude. That's what I have you around for. To plan for me! Plus, if IF mentioned it was good, then I trust her."

The two of them both approach the door where I can see the both of them. One of them has circle rimmed glasses and orange hair framing his ear with bangs covering his head. He's wearing tough black, leather boots along with a white overcoat that flows all the way down to his legs. Puffy white sleeves cover his hand and his chest area is covered with black metal that I can't quite identify. A brown belt covers his waist with adornments of various potions and flasks that could have come straight from Gust's inventory. He also looked much taller than his companion, coming in a full head over him.

His friend, I suppose is much shorter. He had short black hair that framed around his cheeks and two braids along his ears. His hair is tied back into two smaller lumps in the back with white strings. He's also dressed in dark blue, plate armor with black pants and steel toed, blue greaves. Brown, leather, fingerless gloves are covering his hands and his steel blue shoulder pauldron cover his left one. Gray and blue cloth overflowing from the center chest armor cover to the back of his knees, adorned with gray, patterned linings.

"Hello. Welcome to Haven." I greet the both of them as the guys enter and look around the place. They inspect it first before having a seat at the bar counter in front.

A quick look at the ID checker shows they're both over twenty one so no issues here.

"Are you sure IF's tastes are valid? This place looks empty. There's tables here, but nobody else." The taller guy comments, looking miffed at his disturbed evening.

"It might just be a slow day. Let's give it a chance first before we make a call about this, alright?" The younger guy tries to mollify him before he turns to me. "Sorry about him. He's not really happy when his plans derail and you're getting the butt of it."

I give a polite smile. "I understand. What would you guys like? I have a menu here if you want something more specific."

The armored man cheerfully smiles back. "Something strong for sure. We're not unused to alcohol."

I turn to the taller guy who has a stoic expression. "Whatever. I'll simply get what you order."

Confirmation given from the both of them, I run my mind through the process of which drink to give them again. Most of the manlier drinks are on the stronger side and I think that's what's I'll use to narrow down what I'll give them. A Gut Punch is on the table and that's a stronger drink where I can add how much alcohol I want. A Suplex or a Pile Driver also comes to mind when I think of bitter, strong drinks. The Suplex and Pile Driver rank a bit higher when it comes to how much alcohol it has. But, these guys both asked for strong drinks. I think I'll give them with a Pile Driver. They both asked for strong drinks and that's what they'll get.

I start with the shaker and glasses as usual and run my mind through how much materials I need. Three Bronson extracts, three flanergides, and four karmotrines each which I grab off beneath the counter on my side. Bronson extract for the bitterness and flanergide for the spicy taste. Since I need two, that means double the ingredients. No ice or any extra mixing needed, so I just need to open it up, pour everything in and shake it for a few seconds. I go ahead and do just that and finish up the first Pile Driver for this shorter, armored guy. I repeat the same process for another Pile Driver for the taller, glasses guy.

"Alright. Two Pile Drivers for you guys. That'll be 100 credits each. Enjoy." I hand them both their drinks as they fork over the money required.

"Thanks!" The armored guy says as he raises his glass. "Bottoms up dude."

His overcoat friend doesn't reply, but mimics the gesture he does and they both take a long sip from the drink.

The younger armored guy starts coughing a bit, recoiling at the suddenly strong taste. "Ugh. Oh man, that was a _lot_ stronger than I thought. It's pretty good and goes down well, but _damn_ does it burn."

I glance at his friend who winces at what I assume is the sudden bitter, spicy taste.

"It's… not bad." He almost begrudgingly forces out as the both of them take another sip, now expecting the punch.

"I'm glad to hear you guys like it." I give another polite smile. "I actually have a few questions for you guys though."

"Hmm? What's that, uhh… Lan?" The armored guy glances at my name tag on my apron.

"You guys mentioned IF right? She send you this way?" I ask my series of questions, curiosity piqued about the three of them. "I've actually never heard her mention you guys whenever she stops by either. What do you guys do that you know her and who are you guys?"

"Oof. Man, she never mentioned us? That's cold, IF." The armored shorter guy takes on a fake, hurt expression as he places his hand over his heart and leans his head back. "Yeah, she told us about this bar in Lastation that she comes by when she's in the area. Said it was pretty good, and we were in the area too so we came to check it out since our usual go-to bar was closed. We're actually coworkers since all three of us work at the guild so we see her on occasion."

Ahh, the all-encompassing guild that exists in all four lands for some reason. It's usually to help the citizens and increase shares for the goddesses of that land, but it almost feels like community service.

"I'm Charger. This mopey guy here is Battery." The armored guy finally introduces himself before turning to his friend. "Come on man. You can't lemme do _all_ the talking. Say _something _will ya'?"

The now named Battery sighs in exhaustion as if he's just done with everything related to Charger.

What an edgelord, not that I'll ever say that to him.

"Geez. _Really_ not feeling it today huh?" Charger comments as he looks at me apologetically.

"It's alright. What I'd like to ask is if IF does anything in her free time. Are you guys particularly close?" I ask again, curious to know more about IF.

"Not really. We play some phone games together though. She usually jumps around them and doesn't really commit to one. Battery and I stick to one or two, and she played a few of the same ones we did, but not for long." Charger answers, looking happy to continue to answer any questions I provide and keep conversation flowing. "I'm actually playing a gacha game from Lowee right now. Battery plays CCG's."

CCG's huh? Collectible card games that you duel against other opponents that are electronic. Gacha is essentially a virtual slot machine where you pay some kind of resource to get something, if I recall correctly. The results could be super great and progress gameplay or beat challenges easier, or are just duds that make you cry at your terrible luck. That's pretty much all I know though.

"I'm not too familiar with either of those. Only heard of it." I admit to the both of them.

"Lowee does a really good job with character designs." Charger excitedly states, hand moving towards his phone though he manages to stop himself. "There's just something really appealing with looking at their characters and art, you know?"

"How you would ever find interest in any pixelated beauties is beyond me Charger, let alone spend credits on them." Battery looks entirely unimpressed, given his blank stare at his companion. "I personally find the goddesses more appealing to look at than your unrealistic tastes."

Charger looks affronted that his partner could say such a thing. "Wha-? Battery you traitor! You're supposed to be on my side! Besides, I've seen you look at some of the characters I've got so you can't talk!"

"Just because I look at your characters does not mean I cannot appreciate good art. Credit due where it's due. I simply know the difference between fantasy and reality. There's no point striving for affection in a character whom you know is not real in a gacha game." Battery easily counters with cold logical words, even pushing up his glasses up his nose, though Charger doesn't look like he's lost any of his energy.

"Even if it's just an idea and fantasy, there's nothing wrong with admiring works of art man. Besides, the goddesses always just seem like they're way beyond our league. They're not gonna look at us man. Characters in a gacha game like this though, it's nice. Even if it isn't real. I know the difference between fantasy and reality too or I'd be at home all day on my phone. I like what I like." Charger fights back verbally, some hints of frustration entering his tone moreso than before when he was joking.

"That's debatable." Battery huffs, though he doesn't seem like he means any ill intention towards Charger. "You even spend a good portion of your income on that game. Foolhardy at best when you could be using that to buy better equipment for yourself."

"Ugh…." Charger is unable to really respond to what seems like a fact. "T-That's true… I probably _could_ dial it back a bit. But why're you ragging on me? You play the Lastation CCG right now. I play it too, just not as often. Don't you spend a lot of money on that?"

"A bold assumption, and a trap you might fall for. But I'll have you know that I have not spent anything beyond 100 credits for the initial packs to make a deck." Battery looks unexpectedly proud of that. "I confess to being a bit fortunate on card pulls though. I got three legendaries in my first ten packs."

"Wha!? No way! That's hella lucky man! Why can't I ever get that kinda luck?" Charger moans as he drinks a good portion of his Pile Driver. "So I told you what brings me back to gacha. Good art. Sexy characters. What's so great about this CCG you're playing?"

"A question with many answers, but does require some explanation." Battery smirks as he downs a sizable amount of his own Pile Driver. "The CCG actually, initially comes from TCG, or _Trading Card Game_. In short, a CCG is primarily online while the TCG is offline in most cases. The breadth of skills that TCG's and CCG's teach are numerous. More so on the TCG side, it teaches important life lessons that are applicable in everyday situations."

I cock an interested eyebrow. "Really? Like what? I wouldn't expect something like that to be so practical."

Charger actually looks more interested as well, head fully turned towards Battery with undivided attention outside of finishing his drink.

"Regardless of CCG or TCG, you must construct a deck to face opponents with. That takes resources and that takes several different questions into account. Things such as whether or not the deck you make will be usable for a year. Or even a month." Battery begins, as he looks like he's getting into his groove. "Resources might include in-game currency in a CCG or actual credits if you're playing a TCG. Not everybody playing has a disposable income, so they cannot afford the best cards. Then the question becomes, 'what other cards can you use to substitute or what can you do different to still compete at a decent level and win games?' Even if you were not playing competitively, a substitute card requires research and thought to finish a deck you are constructing. That's both budgeting and abstract thinking for problem solving."

He's…. right actually. I can actually understand where he's coming from. If kids were playing, there's no way they'd be able to keep buying the most powerful cards in a game in most cases. They'd have to think about what else to use if it was too expensive. Then, they have to think about how long the powerful card they get would be of use. For a week, paying 200 credits for card would be ridiculous. But if a card saw play for a solid year, that's a huge investment gain. That _is _both budgeting for a strong card, and abstract thinking.

"Huh… I never really thought of it like that." Charger verbalizes my thoughts, fully invested in what his partner is saying. "Anything else you might learn?"

"Following the rules, an important life skill no matter what. You have to follow the rules in a TCG or CCG, no matter what for fair gameplay." Battery continues on, swirling his drink around in his cup. "Player interaction and social skills, more so in TCG's than CCG's. You must be able to communicate to your opponent what you are doing. That opens the possibility of improving social skills and making friends with the same hobby. Social skills are used, no matter what occupation you are in."

Actually true too. Following the rules or laws helps keep order. There's exceptions of course, but there's always cases like that. Social skills is already a given in any kind of environment whether you're customer service or a CEO of a company. Is a TCG or CCG really that in-depth?

"Admittedly, the CCG lacks a bit of the social aspect. However, I can play it anywhere on my phone I want instead of having to go to a common location to play with physical cards in the case of TCG's." Battery says before downing the rests of his Pile Driver.

I go ahead and take his glass to clean.

Meanwhile, Battery places his elbows on the wood counter and links his fingers from both hands in front of his face.

"Didn't realize trading card games or collectible card games could be so practical. Maybe I'll play it more if that's the case." Charger declares as he also finishes his drink.

"Ultimately, it's the fun of the game that drives most people to play among other reasons. With good reasoning and articulation, you can spin most things to have a positive trait." Battery turns to Charger with a smug grin and a sharp look. "Even gacha games if you don't fall into the gambling trap for pixelated characters. Strategic value and optimization in what moves and characters to use against others are all valued in tactical thinking, applicable in battles and problem solving."

"Heh…" Charger chuckles at the subtle compliment.

"I once knew a person in middle school who managed to outsmart a teacher whom wanted to ban card games. However, he managed to spin the TCG he was playing in a way that it sounded like chess to the principal. He used words like, 'sacrificing pieces', making investments in 'monsters he summons' and playing around certain moves like the bishop and queen, except in card form." Battery closes his eyes in thought, recalling the memory I assume. "In the end, the teacher was yelled at in front of 30 students whom were all playing the same TCG. An unforgettable sight for certain."

Geez. Kids these days just get smarter, I swear.

I initially wanted to know more about IF from these guys since they mentioned her, but this was pretty cool too. This spiel about games was really informative. It almost makes me want to pick one up to play, though that's probably a bad idea.

"Anyway. All this talking and thinking is making me want another drink. Mind if we look at the menu, Lan?" Charger knocks me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, here." I give the two of them a laminated menu while taking the glass they used earlier to clean.

Charger takes a look at the menu. "Hmm. How you feeling about a Suplex Battery? Another strong drink?"

"Fine then. But this'll have to be our last one. We don't need hangovers when we travel tomorrow." The tall guild member replies.

"Two Suplexes then Lan." Charger hands the menu back to me.

"Alright. Coming right up."

Nothing too fancy here and I don't really need to be creative. It's as simple as four bronson extracts, three flanergides, and three karmotrines. It needs some ice and not too much shaking. After putting the ice into the shaker and pouring in everything, I go ahead and perform a few midair and under the leg flips of the shaker. Charger looks a bit more impressed than Battery, though the latter at least cocked an eyebrow. I have a feeling he doesn't really express a lot of emotions in most circumstances anyway.

I go ahead and pour everything into two separate cups and serve it to them.

"100 credits each again." I notify them, though as Battery is about to hand me his money, Charger stops him.

"I'll take this one. You gave a pretty good lesson about your kinda game, so this'll be payback for it." Charger tells him before handing me 200 credits.

"Not necessary, but appreciated nonetheless."

"Bottoms up then!"

Both of them take a long sip of their drinks and place it down on the table.

"Oof. Man. That one's stronger on the tongue than the throat huh? It's got a little less burn compared to that Pile Driver." Charger comments on the taste. "Still good though. Thanks Lan."

"Agreed. My gratitude, bartender."

"You're welcome guys." I say as I finish washing up and drying the shaker and the last glass from earlier.

"Actually, while you're at it Lan, I got something to ask you." Charger says, making me glance over to him while I get my towel.

"Hmm. What is it?"

"I noticed that while you have a lot of drinks, you don't have any snacks. Most bars I see come with 'em, but your's doesn't. Any reason why you don't have 'em? The armored shorty inquires, though the answer comes easy to me.

"I actually can't cook very well. Even at home, I can't really make anything beyond the basics to survive." I respond, drying up the shaker and glass before taking my position behind the counter. "I can do like fried rice or eggs, but nothing super complicated."

Charger hums, giving me a worried look. "Well, there's a lot of milk tea places in Lowee and Leanbox. Those places usually have snacks like fried seafood. Ya' know, like fried shrimp or calamari. Do you think you'll fall behind in what they do since they can do more while you can only make drinks? I mean, its milk tea so it's different than alcohol, but concept seems like it's the same."

I hum to myself, giving a bit of thought as a place a hand under my chin to think.

"Not really no." I eventually answer, watching Charger get taken back.

"No? You don't think so? Aren't they more generalized though? It should appeal to more people right? Keep more people coming?" He scratches his head in confusion.

"They _are_ more generalized, and that inherently isn't bad. The biggest downside of having more snacks on a menu is that it _can _increase costs for supplies for those." I begin my reasoning. "If consumers don't like it or how you make it subjectively, even if it's on the menu, then they may never buy it. It becomes an unnecessary cost to keep it on there and it just exists to have a bigger menu.

Seafood is infamously expensive, even if it _is _tasty after all.

"Because my cooking repertoire is poor, and costs for snacks are too high, I don't have it on the menu. Plus, seafood doesn't really work well with alcoholic drinks." I explain further as Charger seems to mull over my exposition.

"And in the case of specialization shops?" Battery cuts in, though I have an immediate response.

"Specialization for a shop means you're well known for an item. If you excel in making that item or in that field, you receive very high praise for it and it makes you stand out against your competitors. It also keeps costs lower overall generally, since you'll probably have fewer items and can keep costs centered on materials you need to make specializations." I answer Battery, who nods at my reasoning. "I specialize in drinks, so I'm only doing that. I'm not good enough to cook, so I don't serve food. Simple."

Specialization is also how I keep myself running and drinks on the cheaper end too. Since most, if not all my drinks center around five different ingredients, I can keep the drinks cheaper than average. They revolve around different combinations and amounts of those five ingredients to produce different drinks.

"Is there any worry about your target audience? Charger raises a valid point that generalized menus do appeal to a bigger audience. That's not to say the alcoholic audience is small, but should it not balance out if you were able to cook?" Battery argues against me, but I have enough thought put into this that I can articulate something solid back.

"No still. Since I specialize in alcoholic drinks, I can get a more consistent clientele who know my drinks are good instead of an inconsistent one with subpar cooking. I'm confident in that at least. It lets me keep costs lower like I said and I can keep myself afloat easier so long as my regulars keep coming."

"Hmm. I see. There's no worry about any lack of experience or variety? How do you get new regulars?" The taller overcoat man continues questioning me, but I'm not going to cave in so easily.

"I have enough variety and experience in my drinks that I can get away with not having snacks, I think. Tougher drinkers can usually handle bitterer and stronger drinks, but newbie ones typically get better experience with sweeter or weaker ones. There's exceptions obviously, but that's typically the norm." I decide to finish up my explanation. "Eventually, the newbies may expand to other drinks, but it's better to ease them into alcohol instead of forcing them into something too strong that puts them off. If you want newbies to have a good time and come back for more, associate drinking with a good experience by easing them in. Good experiences mean better word of mouth and reviews. That's potentially new regulars. They'll come back for stronger ones once they're used to it."

My explanation leaves them both silent for a while before Charger speaks up.

"That does make sense, yeah. You sound like you've been doing this for a while." Charger compliments me as I mentally grin. "No lie dude, you make some mean drinks. Maybe even better than some of the fancier one's I've been at. Room and bar's smaller, but it's got a nice charm that gives a cozy feeling. I like it! You might just have yourself a new regular whenever we're back in Lastation."

"I confess that I am pleasantly surprised at the service you have given us as well." Battery chimes in, and I swear that my internal smile can't widen any further. "While I would not have been so… abrasive with my wording regarding your drinks as Charger, he is not incorrect. You are obviously intelligent and are quite knowledgeable about your field and specialization."

"Thank you, both of you. It's hard sometimes, but it's moments like these that keep my bar open." I admit, the grin on my face threatening to split my face. "Your talk about TCG and CCG was interesting too. Is there anything else I can get you guys?"

"Nah dude. I think we're done after we down these two. We gotta get up early tomorrow for some exploration quest, so we need to finish these." Charger replies as he single-handedly finishes off the rest of his drink in one gulp.

I almost wince as he burps, making Battery shake his head.

"Your manners is lacking as usual Charger. But, I appreciate you putting up with my rigidity. I know that it can't be easy to 'deal with my stick up my ass.'"

Charger grins, practically engulfing his face as he throws an arm around the taller man. "And thanks for putting up with my idiocy as you always say. We make a good team, despite our differences man. I'm glad I'm friends with ya'."

"I concur. Now…" Battery polishes off his drink just as easily as his friend.

Ahh, the sound of friendship. What a pleasant thing to experience.

"Anyway. We'll be heading out dude." Charger and Battery get off their bar stools, leaving a tip under the cup. "If we pass by IF again, we'll mention to her you said hi and that your bar was pretty good."

"Thanks! Have a good night, both of you!" I wave goodbye to them as I take their empty glasses, as well as the tip under it.

Wow, not a bad night at all. I've got a couple more hours before I close, but feels like I've been open for such a long time already.

Still, it makes me eager to see who's going to pass through my door next. But for now, maybe I should look into that Lastation CCG Battery was playing. I don't think I'll download it, but I'm curious now…


	4. Commencing Simulation

**AN: Inspired by Lione 'Tabuukilla Fortuna's "And How Was Your Day" and Hclegend's Sociopath with A Spellblade. Also inspired by VA-11-Hall-A, a great visual novel that you guys should check out. Got a few reviews asking if I'll do a pairing or any romance. For Lan, no. _Maybe_ implications, but otherwise no. Other characters might have them though. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Commencing Simulation**

"Have a good night! Thank you for your patronage." I say as I wave goodbye to another client.

Phew. It's a good thing I asked Gust to synthesize my ingredients. She came by earlier than expected to hand off my supplies, but it really helped me out. I've seen a little bit more business than usual. Nothing to really brag about, but it'll at least keep Haven and myself up running for another month or two. I'm guessing it's because IF or 5pb spread the word a bit. IF especially since I've seen a bit more adventurers and people from the guilds.

Pretty helpful, all things considered since my food budget was looking like it was going to take a hit.

I honestly thought I'd get more business from hardworking salarymen, but I guessed rugged veterans works out too. I never expected that, but whatever will help keep me afloat longer.

The door to my bar opens though and I see two people walk in.

"Welcome to Haven." I habitually greet as I take a look at the two people whom have walked in.

The first one looks familiar, with her long black twintail hairstyle, and her really elaborate dress. It doesn't take long for me to recognize her as Noire, though I think that's because her clothing is really distinguishable. The second one looks much younger with her hair in twintails too with a really bulky circle piece connecting her collar and her dress. Sisters maybe? Friends?

Honestly, they look like cosplayers which is probably what makes them so noticeable.

"Ahh, hello Noire. I remember you I think. Are you here for a drink?" I ask politely as both the girls approach my counter.

"Maybe later. For now, there's business to take care." Noire informs me as have a slightly sinking feeling." Noire informs me as I have a slightly sinking feeling. "I went through your documentation regarding this establishment, since this one slipped my notice. It turns out that your alcohol license is actually expired and you're missing papers for a weapon license since you have a shotgun."

Wait, _what_!? My alcohol license is expired!?

My widened eyes are perfectly clear to both the girls and I facepalm myself.

"Ughhhh. I _knew_ I was forgetting something, but my _alcohol_ license of all things?" I groan to myself embarrassingly. "Sorry. It's not intentional, I promise. And I didn't know my shotgun needed a license."

"If you purchased a weapon within Lastation, the seller is supposed to tell you about licensure and give you the papers. I'm willing to let it go since I only recently caught it and I don't think you're doing it on purpose." Noire tells me, to my relief. "I have the papers on me already and if you fill them out, we can get this done quickly."

Well, I guess she really _is_ some government figure. At least she's nice enough to let this slide. Back home, I probably would've been arrested or something. It's my own fault for letting this happen, but I'm lucky this time.

"Of course. My shotgun was actually not bought here, which is why I didn't know the weapon license existed." I let Noire know as she nods. "And the alcohol license was my own mistake. I'm happy to fix this right now since there's nobody else here."

"Good." Noire reaches somewhere and hands me a stack of papers which I immediately give a run through. "Go ahead and sign these when you're done."

My glance through the written passages on the papers don't ring any alarm bells. There's no difference between this version of the alcohol license renewal paperwork and the last one that I recall right now. It's an easy signature for me to give, so I go ahead and do that.

The weapons paperwork is what shocks me a bit. It's a lot more lenient than I expected. It's honestly just a registration and admittance that with your ID, you have a weapon. There's reasons for owning a weapon listed, but it explicitly states that if you're in an occupation that doesn't need it and you cannot provide a good enough reason, you can't own it. There's nothing about what kind of weapon you're buying or what you have either.

"I'm not familiar with weapon laws here, but is it really that lenient?" I ask Noire just to double check.

"It is. Guild members and adventurers need weapons to do their jobs. It's not efficient to have to note every single weapon they had when they could just sell it or buy a new one. Shop owners need to be able to protect themselves too and it's not as if anybody can just have a weapon." Noire replies back. "I trust the people living here not to abuse how lenient it is since protecting the people and themselves is just as important. That said, we can't just have any regular person having one."

Right, that makes sense. If you get robbed or someone more aggressive appears in any customer service establishment, being able to defend yourself is important. Typically, the average citizen shouldn't need it unless it's part of a job occupation too.

"If I happen to move to another nation, would the weapon license apply over there?" I ask, in case I ever went on vacation.

"No."

Well, that's an inconvenience if I ever moved, but understandable. Different nations means different laws and rules. Regardless, I go ahead and finish reading how the rules apply for weapons and sign it. There wasn't any loopholes I could find or any recurrent fee to maintain a license, which was perfectly fine with me.

"Alright. I'm done." I pass Noire both the set of papers as she takes it and stores it. "Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll make sure to keep on top of this next time."

"Thank you. Within a day or two, you should be getting an email for your updated license. Place it up as soon as possible." Noire notifies me as I nod.

"For now, may I still continue business as usual?" I ask, just in case as well I end up needing to close for tonight.

"Yes. Our business is done for now." Noire says, taking a seat at the counter now while the other girl mimics her.

"I'll go ahead and redo my greetings then since that was embarrassing." I clear my throat. "Welcome to Haven. I already know Noire here, but may I get your name?"

"I'm Uni. I'm Noire's sister." She replies with a serious tone, giving me the impression that she doesn't like me.

I question why she's here since my ID checker places her below the age requirement for alcohol. Even if Noire was here for business purposes, why would she bring Uni with her? Still, no point in being unfriendly.

"For obvious reasons Uni, I can't serve you any alcohol like I can to Noire. But, I have other ones if you're interested." I hand them a laminated menu as the two of them looks at the drink I have listed. "If you're confused or have any questions, please let me know."

"Thank you, Lan." Noire says as she runs her eyes on the menu, as does Uni.

The latter looks a bit more confused on what everything exactly is, though it's not unexpected. I doubt that this is a place she would ever go to.

"Yoo hoo~! We're here!" I hear a familiar voice from outside before it almost slams open.

In walks one person I'm immediately familiar with while the other is an unknown to me. It's Neptune again with her big white hoody and those two D-pad clips in her pink hair. The other person has some kind of sailor looking uniform with one D-pad clip in her pink hair as well. However, the latter is _taller _than Neptune.

"Hey, don't treat the door so roughly or you might actually break it." I scold Neptune, who doesn't look the least bit guilty with her dopey grin. "Welcome to Haven, the both of you."

"Neptune? What're you doing here? I said we'd meet up at the Basilicom!" Noire looks a bit miffed at the girl, though there doesn't look like there's actual hate behind it.

"Well, I wanted to come see you earlier, Noire! We haven't hung out in a while in person!" Neptune casually responds, making Noire turn away with a slight flush on her face. "Plus, Nep Jr. wanted to come see Uni too. I just dragged her along with me."

The both of them sit in front of the counter, with Neptune next to Noire and whoever this Nep Jr. is next to Uni.

"Sisters then?" I ask casually, just to make sure I didn't mistake them as friends with pink hair.

"Yep! I'm the older one though! Nep Jr. here is the younger one." Neptune answers, but it honestly looks like it's the other way around since Nep Jr. is taller Neptune.

"My name is Nepgear. It's nice to meet you, mister Lan." Nepgear politely greets me to which I smile back.

Her age on my checker also puts her below the age requirements.

"You don't have to answer this and I'm just curious, but what brings your sisters here?" I ask Noire and Neptune in particular. "I don't mind extra business, but serving people who are below the age requirement or try to fake ID through my checker isn't typically the norm. I have non-alcoholic drinks for that still, but it's unusual for me."

"We wanted to all hang out together! We _could've_ met at Noire's Basilicom, but she said that she had work to handle over here first. So I thought, why not see what she does?" Neptune replies first, though her answer confuses me. "I just brought along Nep Jr. since I know how much she wants to see Uni."

Wait, the Basilicom? Isn't that where the goddesses live?

"Are you guys staff or something that live at the Basilicom?" I ask, a little in denial that this is even happening.

"Wow, you're a little dense Lan." Neptune chastises me, hands on hip as she shakes her head. "We're CPUs you dummy. I'm the CPU of Planeptune, and Noire here is the CPU of Lastation. Our younger sisters are CPU candidates, so we live at the Basilicoms."

Oh. Right. I _think _I remember Neptune mentioning that she went to go visit Noire at the Basilicom. But I mean, what are the chances right? I guess that Noire wasn't exactly lying when I asked if she was some high government figure.

"Wait, but the two of you look _much_ different than what the goddesses look like. At least on T.V." I point out, recalling their vastly difference appearances.

"Most of our planned public appearances, like console releases, are done in our HDD forms which is what you've probably seen. It gives a bigger sense of importance." Noire informs me, which makes sense now. "But our normal appearance on a day to day basis is like this. It's an open secret on what we usually look like both in our regular and our HDD forms. So I was surprised you didn't recognize us at all when we first came in."

The shocking thought runs through my mind that these are the people who basically rule over Gamindustri. However, the stunning revelation doesn't stick with me for very long as what seems like most things. Maybe it's because all four of these girls seem really relatable or goofy?

I eventually shrug my shoulders. "I never really expected CPU's to enter my bar. The odds just seemed so astronomically low, and it's not a lie to say that my bar isn't exactly popular. I also don't really keep up with high profile people over here."

"Huh… That's something you don't hear every day. Most everybody at least knows what we look like, even outside of HDD form." Noire comments, though she doesn't look particularly bothered about me not knowing that she's the goddess of Lastation.

"Do you guys want any drinks?" I question again since that seems to have been forgotten. "I'll also remind you that for you, Nepgear and Uni, you guys will be getting non-alcoholic ones if you want to buy something. Can't be serving underage people alcohol."

I go ahead and hand two more laminated menus to the two younger girls since Noire and Neptune are already looking at one together.

"We're already here, so all of us should buy something! We can't just leave without buying something." Neptune advocates for me, which makes me smile internally.

Noire scoffs. "We _were _going to buy something, but you decided to show up and interrupted us. Anyway, I think I'll take a Brandtini."

Neptune raises a hand. "A sugar rush for me!"

"Umm, I'll take a Sparkle Star." Nepgear tells me her order.

"I'll take a Sparkle Star too." Uni orders as I run everything through my head again.

"With or without alcohol Neptune?" I turn to her.

"With alcohol please!"

"Got it. Then… Time to mix drinks and change lives."

So, it's one Brandtini, one Sugar Rush with alcohol, and two Sparkle Stars for the younger sisters. Let's start down the list.

That's six adelhydes for sweetness, three powdered deltas for sourness, and one karmotrine for the alcoholic factor with no ice. With practice as usual, I speed through opening the cans and pour it all into my shaker. The four girls look at me as I do my job. I suppose it looks like I'm making some kind of potion, as I'm even pouring in two cans at once with quick speed to get through the orders. I shake the combination together with my two hands real quick before grabbing a glass to pour out the Brandtini for Noire. After finishing, I set it on the table to distribute it later.

Well, if they're going to watch me, I might as well show off what I can do.

A Sugar Rush is the easiest of the easiest. Honestly, if you can't make this, you're so bad at it that you probably shouldn't be making drinks. It only needs two cans adelhydes and a powdered delta with karmotrine being optional. For Neptune though, probably one karmotrine is good enough. The movement is excessive, but it sure will look impressive.

After cleaning the shaker real fast and placing it down, I take the cans out of my cabinet individually into my hands, and slide it down the bar counter on my side. The cans lands almost precisely against the shaker which stops it. I feel a little proud of being able to do that so smoothly. Afterwards, I open each one of them individually and begin pouring the drinks one after the other instead of at the same time like I did before. After, I do my usual practiced handiwork of tossing and flipping the shaker in midair.

Under the leg, behind the back and over my head.

Success! The last one's always difficult, but I'm glad I didn't drop it.

Nepgear and Neptune look the most impressed by it, even clapping with sparkles in their eyes. The Lastation CPU's aren't as emotive as the other two, but still smile a bit at the spectacle.

"Wow~! That's pretty impressive Lan!" Neptune compliments me as I get started on the last two Sparkle Stars.

Nepgear nods as well, a smile on her face. "Goodness! I didn't know bartenders did things like this!"

"No, just a little something I picked up in my spare time." I tell them as I finish cleaning the shaker. "It doesn't do anything to the drink and it's honestly not practical, but it looks cool. Putting on a good show does add a little excitement, I learned from someone."

"I can see that." Noire agrees with me. "The presentation of some things can really change how people see things."

"Right. A poor presentation and even how you word things can really change how people see things. A good concept might never appeal to people if the presenter doesn't think about how to appeal to their audience." I chuckle a bit as I start pouring the required adelhydes and powdered delta into the shaker. "It's not as impactful as something like this, but it's a good icebreaker sometimes."

"Yeah! That sounds like a _great _game concept!" Neptune exuberantly says, looking like she's thinking really hard. "A bartender… making drinks behind a bar as they serve drinks to some dissatisfied people of society. You _hear_ the woes and darkness of people as you serve drinks…"

"Not a bad idea Neptune. I'm surprised it came from you. Maybe the dialogue choices could be tied to the drinks you make." Noire compliments back-handedly.

"Hey~!" Neptune pouts at Noire, though there doesn't look like there's any offense taken from Noire's statement at all.

"Alright girls. Two Sparkle Stars, a Sugar Rush, and a Brandtini. Enjoy." I get their attention and distribute all their drinks to the respective clients.

I hear thanks from several of them as they hand me the required credits.

"So obviously, I know nothing about the CPUs that run our nations. Not even the one I'm living in." I tell them as I begin cleaning out the shaker. "What _do _CPUs do exactly?"

"Well, you already know we rule our nations. Our top priorities is making sure our nations run smoothly and to protect our people and their faith in us. For example, if a high ranking quest appears in the Guild and deemed dangerous, CPUs can take care of it themselves. Those are usually explorations or monster exterminations. Any important legal matters also go to us for the final say. Important tech releases get announced by us too." Noire explains to me proudly. "Not only that, but since we represent our nation, we're the symbols of it so even existing is important."

"Yeah! Something like that! We're really important!" Neptune joins in energetically, even raising a V sign with her fingers.

"Neptune, you don't even do half of it. Histoire does it for you." Noire doubts Neptune and honestly, I can see that.

"Hey… I still protect my people. You work all the time anyway Noire! We need to take breaks too! Remember what Lan said last time?" Neptune protests, pouting all the while.

Hmm, so basically, CPU's are the judges and the CEO's of their nation. Noire said all important legal matters go to them, but that seems to be really overwhelming. Their essentially military leaders as well since they have to protect their people from foreign entities, like monsters. Technology advancements also have to be announced by them which is more in-line in what a CEO might do.

Way too much responsibility for me if I ever had that kind of position. I'd rather just do what I'm doing now.

What confuses me is that this legal matter relating to me seems way too low on the priority list that a CPU should take it. It's their job, if Noire is correct, but my bar isn't exactly high profile enough that a CPU needs to handle something related to me I think.

Oh well. Whatever they do in their work hours is none of my business, unless it involves me I guess.

"Anyway. I have to get back to the Basilicom to finish your papers Lan. The faster I get it done, the better." Noire finishes her Brandtini at a pretty impressive pace and stands up from her seat.

"What~! Leaving already Noire? I haven't even finished my drink yet!" Neptune complains as Noire turns to her with a half-hearted glare. "And you're going back to work, even though we came to hang out!"

"Well hurry up and finish! This won't even take a second, and then we can play games in my room again. I even got some snacks, just for today..." Noire trails off as she looks away with her arms crossed.

"D'aww. Really~?" Neptune practically launches herself at Noire happily as the latter shrieks with surprise. "You're the best Noire! I knew you couldn't resist the Nep-charm!"

"H-Hey you idiot! Stop that!" Noire tries to pry Neptune off of her, but Neptune doesn't falter at all. "Not in public! It's embarrassing!"

I cock an eyebrow at that.

"Oh Noire! You're just being your usual tsun-tsun." Neptune says, twisting her head left and right into Noire's dress before getting off. "I'll finish this real fast, and then we can play!"

Neptune does just that, almost inhaling the Sugar Rush before placing the glass back onto the counter.

"Done!" Neptune says before she turns to the sisters. "What about you Nep Jr.? Noire Jr.? You're not finished with your drinks, so do you wanna stay here for a bit before meeting back up with us at the Basilicom?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm going to finish my drink first. What about you Uni?" Nepgear confirms before turning to the younger looking girl.

"Me too."

Noire looks a bit taken aback at that, but doesn't seem to protest.

"Alright. We'll head over first then. Have a good evening Lan, and the drink was good as usual." Noire compliments me before heading over to the door. "Let's go Neptune, or I'm just going leave you behind."

"Nah, you wouldn't just leave me behind Noire. I know you." Neptune counters before waving good-bye at me. "See you next time Lan!"

"Thank you for your patronage, both of you. Have a good night." I bid them both farewell as well as thank them graciously as I grab the menus I gave them earlier.

Geez. For CPU's, they seem a lot more laidback than I thought. Neptune and Noire almost seem like a comedy duo instead of rulers for a nation. I'm not particularly complaining since its entertaining though.

"Hmph. What makes this bar so special that my sister would come here…" Uni mutters to herself, but I manage to catch it.

"I don't really know. She's only been here twice, so I don't even know her all that well. The first time, Neptune looked like she just dragged Noire here." I answer and Uni looks surprised to hear me respond. "Neptune seems like she just goes on her own pace and drags everyone along with her. Plus, I've only seen Neptune a grand total of maybe three times."

What I didn't say is that Noire probably goes along with it voluntarily, words from her notwithstanding.

"Mmm, that does sound something my sister would do." Nepgear agrees with me as she takes another sip of her drink.

Both of Nepgear and Uni sit in place for a while, with the former looking a bit worried about the latter.

"Give me an alcoholic drink." Uni eventually breaks the silence. "The same one as Noire."

I frown and shake my head.

"Sorry. By law, I can't serve any alcohol to any minors and that includes you two." I state upfront as Uni's face almost growls in dissatisfaction.

"Uni? What's wrong?" Nepgear asks kindly, now looking even more concerned.

Uni doesn't say anything for a while and I can basically see her tension. Her shoulders are stiff and her hands are balled into fists on the counter.

Eventually, Uni sighs deeply and her body loosens up as the tenseness practically evaporates into air.

"I'm sorry. It's just…" Uni murmurs a bit, though both Nepgear and I can hear it. "I just want my sister to acknowledge me. She brought me here, but I'm not even sure what for."

"Oh…" Nepgear doesn't seem like she can reply to that.

"I didn't even do anything besides say my name and buy a drink. I just want to feel a bit closer to her. I thought she might have tried to teach me something while we were here." Uni discloses in a sullen tone.

This got serious faster than I expected. She just jumped right in. Though, I do feel bad for Uni. It _looks_ like she just wants her sister to pay attention to her more.

"Noire's always so busy and never makes time for me. She's gotten a bit better since that incident with the Heart Dimension, but…" Uni confesses depressingly, shaking her drink a bit before taking a sip.

"Neptune does the same thing. Remember, that time when she went to the other dimension with Plutia?" Nepgear divulges as well. "All she did was take Plutia along. I was left behind and when I got teleported over, she didn't do anything with me for a while. She even forgot about me."

Uni looks over at Nepgear in surprise. I guess Uni didn't expect Nepgear to hide her own shadows. I honestly have no idea what they're talking about when they mean other dimensions, so I'm just going to guess that it happened before I got here.

"But, I still love my sister. Don't you love Noire too, Uni?" Nepgear gives a shaky smile towards her friend.

"Of course I do!" Uni outbursts, then looks back down depressingly. "It's just… It's hard to see that she cares for me back sometimes. I know Noire's always really busy and she tries really hard for Lastation. I just feel like whatever I do isn't enough for her to acknowledge me when I work too. But she's still the best sister I can ask for. I just don't know how to talk to Noire sometimes and I think it's the same for her."

"Oh Uni…" Nepgear closes the gap and hugs Uni tightly.

"H-Hey. Stop… This is embarrassing…" Uni protests weakly, but wraps her arms around Nepgear.

Well that sounds familiar. I let them have their time though without saying anything. After a minute or two, they finally break apart.

"I-I'm sorry Nepgear… For saying all this to you. It's not even your problem…" Uni apologizes though Nepgear shakes her head.

"Don't be silly Uni. I'm always here for you. Maybe later, we can think of something that will get Noire to notice you more." Nepgear suggests, giving a bright smile that Uni blushes at.

"Right. Maybe I just need a new strategy."

"We've been through so much together. I'm glad we're friends and you know I'll always help you Uni." Nepgear sincerely states as Uni's face turns even redder than before.

"Geez… You wouldn't have gotten anywhere without me either back then. But…, I'm glad we're friends too…" Uni replies as I can't help cracking a grin.

Gosh, this is so touching.

"Gah! H-Have you been listening to all that!?" Uni gives an outburst, finally realizing that I've been standing here.

"Yes. This is my bar. This is my job." I state the fact as Uni stands up from her seat.

"F-Forget what you saw and heard! You didn't hear anything!" Uni tries to force me, though I raise an eyebrow in response.

Nepgear looks like she wants to sink into her seat and disappear. I guess it was embarrassing for them to have me to watch all of that, but it's not my fault they had an emotional moment in front of me. I can't just leave the counter unsupervised and head to my storage room without some good reason.

"I can keep everything confidential obviously. Part of the job I end up doing is hearing people out, and you did mention some troubles with your sister." I said as I finally get a good opportunity to take Neptune and Noire's empty glasses to clean. "It's not any of my business and the both of you know Noire better than I do, but I can offer two things. The first, I can give a few suggestions on some options you might want to consider if your goal is to get Noire to notice you. Keep in mind that you should probably take those with a grain of salt and think it through if you want to go through with it."

Uni looks like she's seriously considering what I said.

"The second is that we can just go back to talking while I serve you some more drinks. Whatever you feel is best."

Nepgear looks at Uni comfortingly as the latter closes her eyes to think.

"No. I think Nepgear and I can handle it." Uni eventually comes to her conclusion. "Between her and I, we can take anything that comes at us."

I can see Nepgear practically glowing at the praise heaped on her by Uni. I honestly wonder if these two know what they're doing to each other.

"Alright, fair enough." I concede, deciding not to push any further.

"Maybe we'll get another drink though. I'm done with mine and it was pretty good." Uni catches me a bit off-guard with how she finished her Sparkle Star without me catching it.

"I'm finished too." Nepgear announces and I quickly take both their glasses to put into the sink.

"Alright, what would the both of you like?" I ask as I hand them a menu again for them to look at.

"Hmm…" Uni stared at the menu intensely. "I'll try something different. How about a Bleeding Jane?"

"I'll take a… Fluffy Dream." Nepgear says, smiling at me as she hands the menu back.

"Alright. Let me get right on that."

I'm a bit surprised at Uni going for a spicy drink, but whatever she wants as long as it isn't alcoholic. I'll start with the Bleeding Jane.

That one needs one bronson extract for bitterness, three powdered deltas for sourness, and three flanergides for spiciness. Blended, not mixed. No ice. I don't bother with any fancy tricks as I just move in a routine fashion to grab all the ingredients. I pour everything into the shaker and begin shaking it quickly for a couple seconds. I pour everything into a glass I got off the shelf and place it to the side to serve later.

Next one's the Fluffy Dream. Triple adelhyde and powdered delta, no ice, mixed. Easy enough as well. A quick rinse of the shaker done, I open up all the materials as per the norm and pour everything in the shaker. I grab another glass with my open hand as the other continues shaking before pouring it out. Nothing difficult.

"One Bleeding Jane for Uni, and one Fluffy Dream for Nepgear. Enjoy." I serve them both their drink as they thank and pay me for it.

Uni and Nepgear both raise their glasses to take a sip from their respective drinks, but Uni stops all of a sudden.

"Wait a minute. This cup…" Uni picks it up and looks at it more closely. "This has 5pb's signature on it! It even has the star she does!"

"G-Goodness! Really?" Nepgear puts down her glass and looks over at Uni's autographed cup. "It really does! It's even written for Mr. Lan!"

Oh…. Crap. I wasn't looking at the glass I was grabbing and gave them the autographed cup from 5pb by accident. The marker's permanent, so it's not like it'll wash off after I clean it, but I shouldn't been so automatic with what I was doing. Routine and muscle memory just made me not really think about it. I guess it's not _all _bad, but I just hang it on my shelf so people can see it, not actually use it.

"Have you met her before Mr. Lan? Did you go to one of her concerts?" Nepgear asks me curiously as I get both the girls stares.

"No use denying it. Yes, I've met with her before but I haven't actually been to one of her concerts. She's a nice girl, and she seems like a big deal for the public." I confess as Nepgear smiles.

I get the impression that Nepgear is honestly just an optimistic girl in general.

"Wow… What a coincidence! Uni and I saw her at Planeptune too. Our nation had her last concert for her tour before going back to Leanbox."

I cock an eyebrow. "Oh? You guys are friends of hers?"

"Yeah. We traveled together for a while. We're good friends and we've always helped each other when we needed it." Uni replies, smiling a bit at mentioning the idol. "How do you know her though if you haven't been to her concert? This doesn't seem like a place 5pb would go to."

I don't think they're lying when they say they're friends with 5pb. But, I don't know for sure if it's alright to tell them that 5pb ducked into my bar to avoid some trouble from fans so maybe being a bit vague is a better idea. Besides, they could always ask 5pb if they want to know more. These girls seem understanding, more so with Nepgear than Uni. I think Uni will follow Nepgear's lead though.

"In respect to 5pb's privacy, I don't want to say too much. But, she ran into me coincidentally and I helped her out a bit. As thanks, she signed something for me. If you want to know more, you should probably ask her." I decide to say as Nepgear looks a bit disappointed at my response.

"I understand, but thank you for helping her. I'm sure she appreciated it." The pink haired girl says, bowing her head slightly in thanks.

Uni takes a sip of her drink. "If you can, you should see one of her concerts. 5pb's singing is always amazing and she puts everything into it."

"I got that impression from her too. If I can ever get a ticket, maybe I'll see her."

Though, I _did _tell her to maybe put a ticket on hold for me. I have no way to really get a hold of her personally though so who knows when that'll be. Maybe IF can? I don't have IF's phone number either though. I never ask, unless clients want it and only if I know them well enough.

"Goodness. This is almost like one of those clichés! Neptune mentioned that bars get a variety of people and that you should always check them for information." Nepgear comments as she drinks her Fluffy Dream.

Uni sighs. "Nepgear, that only happens in games and anime. Walking into some random bar doesn't automatically mean you'll find something helpful."

Nepgear looks like she wants to protest, but eventually just gives up on it. Uni looks at her saddened expression and practically crumbles.

"Why're you even so excited over this? Geez." Uni murmurs, though not even close to quiet enough that both Nepgear and I can't hear it. "Fine! Have you had any other interesting clients?"

Nepgear practically brightens at it and smiles at Uni like the latter just gave her the world. I don't see what the big idea is or why she wants to prove why bars always seem to everything a main character needs.

I sheepishly scratch my head. "That's a stereotype, but I guess it's true. I do actually have a supplier that came by a few days ago to sell me some stuff. She's pretty cutthroat, but also nice when she wants to be. She gave me a massive discount for the stuff I need, but I had to haggle for it. She's pretty young actually, but can handle herself when it comes to business. Plus, she's got a lot of interesting stories."

"If it's a supplier in Lastation, my sister and I might know who it is. Who is it?" Uni presses for information.

I shrug. "Uhh. Gust. Wears a cute bunny hat and a blue dress I think. Pretty distinguishable, I'd say."

"Wait, what!? Gust is your supplier!?" Uni's eyes widen at the mention of Gust.

"G-Gust? Really?" Nepgear looks just as surprised as Uni.

"Uhh yeah...?" I confusingly answer.

It sounds like these two know Gust? Small world.

"How did you even meet her!?" Uni practically demands from me as I raise my arms in a surrender fashion.

"Whoa, hey! I'll answer! Just don't shout at me." I try and placate the twin tailed girl as she takes a few deep breaths so I can explain. "I was looking for suppliers when I first moved into Lastation. Nobody had it, but some girl said that they could make it for me if they had a sample of it. I gave her one and after a few days, she had exactly what I needed. She said she used alchemy and combined materials to make the perfect copy. After that, we just agreed that she would be my supplier and that her name was Gust."

"Goodness, I'm just so surprised that we know a lot of the same people. Gust used to travel with us too after helping us with something." Nepgear explains how the two underage girls know her.

"She really is cutthroat though. She'll sell whatever she thinks will get a high price." Uni agrees with me.

"It sounds like you have personal experience with her. She pull a fast one on you guys too when she was selling something?" I ask out of interest.

It seems like these girls have firsthand experience with Gust. Anything they know about her might help me with Gust whenever we meet up for transactions again. Although, it's nice to know Gust a bit more too since I consider her a good acquaintance.

Uni doesn't really respond for a while though as does Nepgear.

Is something up?

"Girls? What's wrong?" I ask, a little worried now as they stopped talking after I mentioned if Gust tried to sell something.

Uni murmurs something that I can't quite hear.

"Sorry? I didn't get that." I tell her, though Uni doesn't bother speaking up.

"Umm. It's not that Gust sold something to us. She sold some things from us on Eboo online." Nepgear answers, which still confuses me.

"Okay? Well, what'd she sell?" I ask and this time, both of them turn away shamefully.

I think I can see Uni's hands clenching though, if I'm not mistaken. Is this a question I'm going to regret?

Uni mumbles something that I can't hear again.

"Sorry?" I ask again.

"You're going to make me say it!? My panties! She sold my panties!" Uni slams her fists on the table angrily as the words slowly comprehend in my mind.

"Wait, _what_!?" I shout instinctively at the sheer absurdity of Gust. "Your _panties_!?"

"Yes! And it's not even fair! They sold for the lowest price out of all the things she sold! Even a cereal spoon was worth more than my panties!" Uni shouts, as I continue to process the information.

"Yeah… Gust even sold the handkerchief that Neptune gave me. It was an important gift…" Nepgear says depressingly, twiddling her index fingers together around her half empty glass of Fluffy Dream.

I can feel my jaw dropping open and closing multiple times at Gust's antics.

How the hell did Gust even manage to do that? Uni's used panties of all things?

I honestly on't think I should really push any further on how this even came about. Gust has some big balls of steel to be doing all of that though. I knew she would've sold anything, but even personal possessions of others? Yikes. I probably should keep a _really _close eye on my stuff if she ever comes around again. I like her, but she'd probably take my 5pb autographed cup and sell that too.

Their outrage doesn't seem like it's hateful though so I guess all three of them are still friends. I don't want to ask since it'll probably just push more buttons. After recovering from the shock, I'm super torn between laughing and sympathizing with them. Despite difficulties, I push the former down since these girls are younger and decide for the latter. I almost fail to hide my snicker behind my hand though.

"W-Why don't we just change the topic for now? Maybe another time, I'll tell you about some other interesting clients I've had." I offer as the two girls nod and drink from their respective glasses. "Why don't you tell me about shares instead? It's common knowledge that it's a big thing and all the CPU's need it, but what does it do exactly?"

"Don't you live here in Lastation? How do you not know this?" Uni frowns at my lack of knowledge, though it looks more like a pout on her.

"I'm actually not from around here at all. I'm from the PC continent where things run a lot differently than what I'm used to. I don't necessarily _need _to know this, but it's something I'm curious about." I answer Uni whom relaxes.

"Share are basically the amount of faith that people have in a CPU. The more shares a CPU has, the more power and influence they get. But if there aren't enough shares, CPU's can get weaker and even incapacitated." Uni explains to me, though it seems like a really vague concept. "On the other hand, if there's a lot of shares, then it can even create miracles since shares are the prayers and wishes of the people."

"So, it's like invisible energy that flow into a CPU?" I try to wrap my head around this.

"Sort of. It's more complicated than that, but it isn't wrong." Nepgear says. "CPU candidates like us and our sisters are even formed from the people's desires, which become shares if they believe in us."

Hmm. So what I'm getting so far, shares are like an invisible power line that links to the CPU's and CPU candidates. But, if the power source is cut off because of low shares due to lack of faith, then a CPU can get weaker. A system like this seems very dangerous, because if faith in a CPU doesn't exist, what happens exactly? If a people's desires can become an intangible form like share energy, but also a tangible form at the same time in the form of a CPU, is it possible that the CPU and the candidates' personalities are formed based on that desire? If that's the case, I wonder if the CPU's and CPU candidates have set personalities that are inherently part of them. If that's what the people wished for, it doesn't seem too outlandish.

Uni and Noire seem like good examples. Both the girls don't generally seem to be very honest with their feelings verbally, but their actions say otherwise. Nepgear and Neptune so far, I have no idea what the people wished for from them.

But, I firmly believe that people are people. By extension, the CPU's and CPU candidates I believe, fall under that. Since people can change, I think by nature, the CPU's and the CPU candidates can change too. Experience and environment are just major factors of personality that can't be ignored. Personality itself too is a really complicated thing that even feels hard to define.

Shares and their works an interesting thought though, but I don't really know enough to really speculate anything further.

"Mister Lan, Uni and I were wondering what the PC continent was like." Nepgear breaks me out of my thoughts. "We've heard of it, but we've only really done talks about how to port games over."

"Ahh well. That's something I'm more familiar with. I'll say first off the land's a lot bigger than Gamindustri for sure." I begin explaining. "There's different nations and each one, like in Gamindustri, has their own version of a leader. The government style might be different between each nation though. We don't have CPU's where I'm from and since they can't be born, we have to elect our leader instead. Our leader is called the Motherboard, and they're elected by people like me."

"No CPU's? How do you protect yourselves from monsters then? And what does your Motherboard do?" Uni asks.

"Technology, weaponry. Things like that. The Motherboard make executive decisions, but also has different parts of their team to help them, called the Cabinet. The Cabinet itself is divided into different parts that are manned by several teams too. I can't remember them all off the top of the head, but a few I remember are the GPU, the PS, and the OS." I continue elaborating, raising my fingers as I recall my past knowledge.

"Those sounds like parts of a computer!" Nepgear notes.

"Yeah. The GPU stands for Group Personnel Unit, which helps maintain running the nation on a lower scale. They help make important decisions like declaring war or creating new policies and rules. The OS, or Operating System, is basically the legal system. The PS or Power Suppliers, manage all the resources of the country and makes sure they aren't being allocated incorrectly. They help bring all the necessities like food, water, and electricity."

"We have a few things similar, but our sisters usually take care of everything except for the really small tasks. Those ones usually go to people below." Uni states, finishing off the rest of her Bleeding Jane.

"I'm honestly used to life here in Lastation now though and I haven't been back in a while. So if anything's changed recently, I wouldn't know." I remark. "If we're going to compare, the people here seem less stressed outside of the usual worries. People here seem colorful with all their own quirks, and despite being nation rulers, you girls seem relatable."

"Hmm? What does that mean mister Lan?" Nepgear inquiries, curiosity clear on her face.

"Well, if I didn't know any better, I would think you girls were close friends at a high school. At first glance, you don't _seem_ any different than anybody else and you'd fit in pretty well. Let me see if I can think of an example though…" I trail off a bit as I try to think of something relatable and easy to understand.

Okay. I think I got something that'll work.

"Here. Let me ask. What're a few of your guys' hobbies?"

"Oh umm… Well, I like working with robots and hardware." Nepgear replies happily.

"I play FPS games and go shopping for parts for my guns." The black haired girl also answers.

"In high school or college, that's two clubs. That's probably an airsoft club for Uni and a robotics club for Nepgear. There's a lot of people who like the same things. See what I mean by fitting in? Things like that make you relatable as people since others can see themselves doing the same hobbies you guys do. Since that's the case, people feel closer to you." I try to get them to understand.

"Oh! Goodness! Yeah, that does make sense. Both Uni and I have never really been to school since we were born like this." Nepgear turns to Uni. "I wouldn't mind going to a school actually with my sister or Uni at all. It must be a lot of fun."

"Wha!?" Uni's eyes widen. "I-I. I guess I'd like to go to school with you too Nepgear. Just for the experience."

I remain silent as the two of them make some pretty happy faces at each other. Good friends indeed. Part of me wants to purposefully get them drunk to see if anything changes between them. Bad idea obviously, but it's a tempting thought. Besides, professionalism.

"Eh-hem." I cough into my fist, knocking them out of the reverie. "By the way, I've noticed that you call me mister Lan a lot. You can just call me Lan. I'm not married and I don't really care for being called that."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Nepgear apologizes to me.

I brush off her apology. "Don't worry about it."

"Nepgear, we should probably get going soon. We stayed longer than I expected and we planned to all hang out together at the Basilicom." Uni reminds Nepgear. "We don't want to keep our sisters waiting for too long."

"I almost forgot!" Nepgear pulls out her phone. "Yeah, we should leave Uni."

The two of them get off the stools, leaving their empty glasses on the table.

"Thank you for everything Lan!" Nepgear graciously thanks me as she waves goodbye.

"Yeah. This place isn't all that bad. See you next time Lan." Uni doesn't wave, but at least politely gives me a farewell.

"Have a good evening girls. Come back anytime to Haven." I also wave them goodbye as I take their glasses to start cleaning.

The two CPU candidates depart through the door, leaving me alone in my bar once more.

I need to be a bit careful cleaning the 5pb autographed cup. Marker should be permanent, but you can never be too careful. Also, that cup was a really good icebreaker topic. Maybe I should use it more or put it in the front of the shelves where I store my glasses. That way, people will see it and I'll at least have something to talk about if they're a fan of 5pb.

"Hmm. Maybe I should've gotten the girls to sign something for me too…" I off-handedly mention to myself.


End file.
